Arcane Academy
by ame3565
Summary: With Sirius’ recent death, Harry’s summer has a hellish start. The Dursley’s abuse turns deadly, and Dumbledore does nothing to save him. Will he survive for another year of school, and will he even want to go back to Hogwarts at all? Slash, M/M, OMC/Hary
1. Chapter 1

Arcane Academy

Pairing: OMC/Harry

Rating: NC17

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: With Sirius' recent death, Harry's summer has a hellish start. The Dursley's abuse turns deadly, and Dumbledore does nothing to save him. Will he survive for another year of school, and will he even want to go back to Hogwarts at all?

Chapter 1

The train ride home was tiresome. Harry spent the entire trip tuning out his friends' constant chatter and mourning the loss of his godfather. When they arrived at the station, Harry reluctantly followed Hermione and Ron through the platform. As he approached his scowling relatives, he saw the Order take his aunt and uncle aside. He heard the Moody and Mr. Weasley threaten the Dursley's and mentally groaned. He just knew that would make things worse for him this summer.

How right he was. As soon as they pulled into the drive, Vernon turned around with an angry glare. "Put your freakish school things in the cupboard and go straight to your room.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," sighed Harry, getting out of the car. He dragged his trunk into the house and shoved it into the cupboard under the stairs. It didn't really matter to him. He would just sneak down later and get his homework. Harry turned to go upstairs only to find his Uncle Vernon standing directly in front of him.

"That little stick better be in there, too."

Harry rolled his eyes and started passed Vernon. "Yes, Uncle Vernon. It's not like I can use outside of school anyway." He had just reached the stairs when something hit him in the back of the head. He fell to his knees, blackness clouding his vision, and saw his uncle's massive form with Dudley's Smeltings stick clutched in his beefy hand. "The... Order..." he gasped, fighting to stay conscious.

"Will never know," said Vernon viciously. "You don't think they actually care, do you? No one cares about freaks like you."

Grabbing Harry's arms, Vernon dragged the barely conscious teen up the stairs and into Harry's bedroom. Dropping Harry unceremoniously onto the floor, he raised the Smeltings stick and hit Harry across the back with it.

Harry cried out at the searing pain and curled into a foetalposition, trying to make himself as small as possible. The next blow hit him in the temple, knocking him out completely. That didn't stop Vernon, though. He continued to rain blow after blow on the unconscious teen, delighting in the pain he inflicted upon his nephew's helpless body.

Finally tiring of his assault, Vernon stepped back to survey his work. He relished in the sight of Harry's bruised and bloody form. Whistling cheerfully, Vernon left the room, locking the door behind him.

So lost in reminiscing, Vernon didn't see Petunia as he passed the stairwell. She gasped in shock when she saw the bloodstains on his shirt and trousers. "Vernon, what did you do?"

Vernon stopped and turned around at his wife's voice, smiling gleefully. "I just showed the little freak what to expect this summer. He's finally going to get what's coming to him." His stomach grumbled demandingly. "What's for dinner, pet? All that work's made me hungry."

"Shepherd's Pie," said Petunia numbly. She couldn't believe her husband would do something like this. A smack here and there was one thing, but to beat someone bloody? That was too much. As much as she disliked the boy and his presence in her home, she knew she couldn't allow this to continue. She could only be grateful that Dudley was spending the week with his friends.

When Vernon went into the bathroom to shower before dinner, Petunia crept silently to Harry's bedroom. Unlocking the doors as quietly as possible, she slowly opened the door, gasping in horror at what she saw. Harry was nothing more than a bruised, bloody, broken mess. His left arm was obviously broken and possibly his ribs, judging by the boy's difficulty in breathing. Blood matted his dark hair and streaked across his face where a livid bruise stood out on his cheekbone.

She needed to find a way to contact someone from the Wizarding World. Spying Hedwig in her cage, Petunia hurried over to the desk. Who should she write, though? It wasn't as though she was familiar with any wizards. She did know that Dumbledore was out of the question. It was his fault Harry was here in the first damn place, and he'd probably just ignore the letter anyway. Remus Lupin! He was at the station, and he was Lily's friend all those years ago. Surely he'd come after the boy.

Hurriedly writing a letter for help, Petunia hesitantly let Hedwig out of her cage. "Can you take this to Remus Lupin?"

Hedwig took the letter in her beak and flew out the window. Petunia looked at Harry one last time and left the room, knowing that if she tried to help him it would just make things worse. Hopefully the owl would find Lupin in time to save the boy anymore pain.

After Vernon left for work the next morning, Petunia went to check on Harry. The teen hadn't moved at all during the night. For a moment, Petunia thought the boy might have died last night until she saw his chest move with a shallow breath. She looked out the window, hoping to see Harry's owl returning, but the sky was disgustingly clear.

"Lupin, you better get here soon. I don't know if he'll last another night."

Petunia sighed softly and left the room. She wanted to help, she really did, but she knew that if she did, Vernon would only focus his rage on her instead. Over the last few years, her husband had changed, becoming petty and cruel. He drank almost every night, and he'd even hit her on several occasions in a drunken fit. She desperately wanted to leave, but she really had nowhere to go.

As the day progressed, Harry didn't wake at all. Unfortunately, that didn't deter Vernon from beating the teen once more. Petunia hid in the hallway, thankful that Dudley wasn't here to see this, and winced every time Vernon's belt struck her nephew. Eventually, Vernon left Harry's room and lumbered toward the shower. As soon as the door closed behind him, Petunia hurried to Harry's bedroom and cried at what she saw. Harry now sported a bloody gash on his left cheek, and his left hand looked crushed. His right leg was also broken, the white bone protruding from the skin.

"Why in God's name aren't you here yet, Lupin? You're supposed to be watching out for him," whispered Petunia angrily. The shower suddenly cut off, and she hurried from the room.

***

Remus sighed softly and grabbed his bag, looking sadly around the room. "I'll miss you, Sirius." He turned to leave when a sharp tap sounded at the window. Seeing Hedwig flying frantically around the window, Remus rushed to let her in. The only time the owl got this upset was when something was wrong with Harry.

Taking the letter from Hedwig, Remus read the missive with growing horror. Harry was badly hurt and needed his help! He rushed out the front door and immediately apparated to Privet Drive. He ran to the Dursley's house and unlocked the door. As soon as he stepped into the house, his nose was assaulted by the smell of his cub's blood.

Remus growled softly and started up the stairs. He growled even louder when he saw the cat flap and numerous locks on the door. Someone was going to pay for doing this to Harry. Remus unlocked the door and yanked it open, howling in rage when he saw the pitiful state Harry was in.

Vernon cursed and rolled out of bed, vowing to take care of the brat once and for all. He was tired of the little freak and his freakish problems. He stomped down the hall, muttering, "So you're finally awake, boy. I guess you haven't had enough for today." When he saw the bedroom door standing wide open, he puffed up furiously. "What have I told you about using that freakishness in my house?"

Remus smirked viciously as the fat whale stormed blindly passed him. Vernon stopped abruptly when he saw Harry was still unconscious, and Remus stepped up behind him, jabbing his wand firmly in the man's neck. "You will pay for hurting him, Vernon. You really should have heeded our warning because now I'm going to make you regret ever laying a hand on my cub."

Remus stunned and bound Vernon, tossing the man across the room with a flick of his wand. He moved to check on Harry when Dumbledore's voice came from his pocket. Pulling the two way mirror out of his pocket, he growled an impatient, "What!"

"Remus, where are you? The portkey leaves in five minutes."

"I'm not going. Send someone else," said Remus calmly.

"We can't just send someone else, Remus. Where are you?"

"At the Dursley's, and someone's gonna die for hurting my cub," said Remus, a deadly gleam in his eyes.

Dumbledore's face suddenly disappeared, and Molly's face filled the surface. "Harry's hurt?" she screeched, making Remus wince at the sound. "How bad is it?"

"I'm taking him to St. Mungo's," said Remus softly. "That's how bad it is."

"Absolutely not!" said Dumbledore, snatching the mirror away from Molly. "Harry must stay at his aunt's. It's the safest place for him. I'm sure he'll be fine with a couple of healing potions. I'll send Severus."

Remus snarled at the Headmaster and turned the mirror toward Harry. "Does that look like he's fine, Albus? He'll die if he stays here. I'm taking him to St. Mungo's."

"If you take him out of that house, I'll have you arrested for kidnapping," threatened Albus.

"Do what you must. I certainly will," said Remus coldly, dropping the mirror to the ground and crushing it beneath his feet. He knelt down beside Harry and tried to assess the damage. Running a standard diagnostic spell, he gasped at the list of injuries: a broken leg, a broken arm, a crushed hand, five broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, numerous contusions and abrasions, and a fractured skull.

"Did you kill him? Vernon, I mean."

Remus looked up at Petunia with a dark scowl. "Not yet. And as much as I would like to do just that, Harry needs help right now."

"Will he be all right?" she asked worriedly.

"What do you think?" snapped Remus. "That bastard pretty much put him into a coma. I need to take him to St. Mungo's, but Albus just said that he'd have me arrested for kidnapping if I take him."

"Why would he do that?" asked Petunia incredulously. "He'll die in he stays here."

"He obviously doesn't care, Petunia. Harry's his little weapon, and therefor must be under his control at all times," said Remus bitterly, finally seeing the truth about Dumbledore. "That's what we all are to him. As long as we obediently do as we're told, he plays the benevolent grandfather, but step out of line, and he'll do whatever it takes to put you down."

"What can we do then?"

Remus sighed softly. "All we can do is wait for Severus to get here and hope we can convince him to help us. Merlin help him if he doesn't, though, because I will make his life hell for allowing Harry to suffer like this."

***

"Albus, you can't be serious. Harry's badly hurt. He needs professional medical help," yelled Molly angrily. "Severus is a Potions Master not a bloody healer."

"Molly, he'll be fine. Severus is perfectly capable of healing a few wounds," said Albus calmly.

"That wasn't just a few wounds, though, was it?" asked Bill derisively. "Harry was a bloody mess. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he's still alive with the injuries he has." Why was he even here? Oh, that's right. He was here because Dumbledore had called an Order meeting, and he was actually in London during said meeting. It was times like these that he wished he'd followed Charlie's example and stayed as far away from England as possible.

Dumbledore scowled at Bill. "The boy will be fine."

"He is not fine, Albus," snapped Molly. "Those muggles have abused him for the last time. If Remus doesn't take him to St. Mungo's, then I will. I won't just sit back and watch while Harry's life is in danger."

Albus sighed. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." Taking them by surprise, Dumbledore flicked his wand and said, "Obliviate!" Molly's eyes glazed over. "Harry is perfectly fine. Severus healed him completely."

Molly blinked in confusion for a moment before she suddenly smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad Harry's all right. I do hope he will be able to visit the Burrow sometime this summer."

"I'll see what I can do," said Albus magnanimously.

Bill couldn't believe what Dumbledore had just done. The only thing that had saved him from the same fate was his fang earring. He was never more grateful for the goblins' paranoia than now. Silverclaw had cast protective charms for the mind, such as against Legilimency and Memory charms, on the earring before gifting it to him.

"Come on, Mum. We should get home now that Harry's all right," said Bill calmly, standing up and pulling his mother to her feet.

"Yes, you're right," said Molly cheerfully, hurrying to the fireplace. She had so much to do today. Dinner was nowhere near ready!

The two Weasley's flooed back to the Burrow. While Molly went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, Bill apparated to Privet Drive. He could only hope he reached Harry and Lupin before Snape did.

***

Severus growled as he stalked to the Dursley's house. That damn Potter was once again intruding in his life. The brat probably had a little cold, and Lupin was just over exaggerating things.

The house was eerily silent when he stepped inside. He saw a single light on upstairs and headed in that direction. When he reached Harry's room, he saw Remus standing in the centre of the room with his wand raised.

"Ah, Severus, good of you to join us," said Remus calmly.

"What do you think you're doing, Lupin?" hissed Severus, raising his own wand.

"Here's what's going to happen. You are going to heal Harry as much as possible, and then you are going to help us leave this place. Once we're gone, you are going to go back to Dumbfuck and tell him we were already gone when you arrived," said Remus coldly.

Severus stared at Remus for a moment, startled at the werewolf's cold visage. "Why would I do that?"

"Because if Harry dies because of your refusal, I will end your miserable existence in the most painful way possible," growled Remus softly, eyes glittering angrily.

"What's wrong with the brat? Albus only said he had a few minor wounds that needed to be healed," said Severus.

"A few minor wounds?" asked Remus incredulously. "Finite Incantatum."

Harry's body suddenly appeared in the room, and Severus gasped in shock at the sight. "What the bloody hell happened to him? Did Death Eaters manage to get through the wards?"

"No, Severus. These wounds are courtesy of his dear, loving uncle," said Remus bluntly, going across the room and kicking said uncle for good measure.

Reeling in shock, Severus numbly knelt down beside Harry and cast a diagnostic spell, paling at the list of injuries. Starting with the worst injuries, he set Harry's leg and arm and forced a bone mending potion down the boy's throat. The bones in his left hand were beyond repair. He banished the bones and gave Harry some Skele-gro. With the broken bones healed, Severus healed the gash on Harry's cheek and the numerous contusions along the teen's chest and back.

It took him two hours to heal Harry to the best of his abilities. Despite all of his efforts, though, the boy was still in a coma. "He's in a coma, Lupin, and I have no idea when he will awake, or if he will awake at all. I've healed him as much as possible, but it still might not be enough."

"What are you going to do now?" asked Remus softly.

Severus stared down at Harry for a long moment and sighed. "I never saw you."

"Wise decision."

Severus and Remus started at the voice and turned to face the newcomer. Remus stared at the person in bemusement. "Bill, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you, of course. Dumbledore is hellbent on keeping Harry here. He even Obliviated Mum to keep her quiet," said Bill angrily.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "He just Obliviated Molly? How did you manage to escape the same fate?"

Bill smirked at the other man. "This earring isn't just for decoration."

Severus snorted in amusement. "He'll never suspect that."

"I need somewhere safe to take Harry, somewhere Dumbledore would never think to look," said Remus abruptly, lifting the unconscious teen into his arms.

"Got it covered," said Bill. He pressed an amulet into Remus' hand. "This is a portkey to my house in Egypt. I'll still be in England for a few more months, so he'll never suspect my part in this."

Severus handed Remus a small bag. "There are two nutrient potions, a sleeping potion, a fever reducing potion, and a general healing potion in here. I'll owl you some more nutrient potions in the morning. You need to give him one four times a day until he wakes up. Then he'll still need to take at least two a day for another two weeks."

"Thank you," said Remus softly. "Both of you."

"Sphinx fever," said Bill, watching as Remus and Harry disappeared. He spied Vernon lying in the corner, watching them with terrified eyes, and smirked evilly. "I believe this muggle needs to learn a little lesson. What say you, Severus?"

"Muggle torture," mused Severus, grinning maliciously. "My favourite." Pointing his wand at Vernon, he said, "Silencio!" Vernon opened his mouth to scream, but when no sound emerged, he simply closed his eyes and whimpered silently. Severus just grinned even wider. "Now let the fun begin."

Downstairs in the living room, Petunia watched her daily programme and ignored what she knew was happening upstairs. Her husband deserved every second of pain for what he'd done to her and Harry.

***

Severus stared at the quivering lump in the floor disgustedly. They'd barely begun, and the fat whale had already messed his trousers. They'd even limited themselves to minor curses- painful but not too harmful. Bill had started off with a Bat-Bogey curse followed by the Furnunculus curse. Severus had only used a Stinging hex and an insect jinx.

"Well, unfortunately, we can't just leave him like this," said Bill regretfully. "Once you report back to Dumbledore about Harry's disappearance, he may get it into his head to come here and investigate."

Severus just smirked at the redhead. "That's the beauty of it, though. All we have to do is change the fat muggle's perspective of things a bit."

"What do you mean?" asked Bill curiously.

"Watch and learn," said Severus. He cast a disillusionment charm on Bill to keep him hidden and turned his wand toward Vernon once again. "Obliviate!" Vernon's eyes glazed over. "When Lupin saw what you had done to Harry, he bound you and hexed you before taking Harry."

Vernon's eyes slowly cleared, and he immediately began to cry out for help. Severus smirked at Bill and reluctantly released the disgusting muggle. Cancelling the silencing charm, he calmly asked, "What happened?"

"That freak, Lupin, attacked me and took off with the boy," said Vernon, huffing and grunting as he clumsily climbed to his feet.

"Do you know where they might have gone?" asked Severus.

Vernon just shook his head and glared at the two wizards. "I do know one thing, though. That little freak better not come back to this house. Next time, he won't get off so lightly."

Severus heard Bill growl softly and take a step toward the muggle and calmly stepped in front of him. "We'll be sure to pass on the message. Good day, Mr. Dursley."

Severus surreptitiously pushed Bill out of the room. Bill stopped once they were outside and scowled at Severus, though the other man couldn't see it. "You do realise that you've just caused Remus more trouble, don't you?"

Severus shrugged. "It doesn't matter. If Lupin had stayed long enough, he probably would have done worse to the fat muggle. The damn wolf sees Potter as his cub, and werewolves are vicious to the ones who hurt their cubs."

"So why didn't he ever attack you?" asked Bill archly. "You've made no secret about how much you hate Harry."

Severus rubbed his left leg absently. "Who said he didn't?"

Bill stared at Severus in surprise, noting the other man's unconscious gesture. "What did he do?"

Severus scowled at the redhead. "It's none of your business!" He took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "You head back to the Burrow. No one can know you were here. I'll deal with Dumbledore."

Bill nodded and apparated away.

Severus sighed and strengthened his Occlumency shields before apparating back to Hogwarts. He was not looking forward to his meeting with the Headmaster. Albus would not be pleased that Severus hadn't managed to get to Lupin and Harry before they left.

***

"What?" asked Albus softly. "They were already gone when you got there? But how? I kept Remus distracted with the mirror while I sent you ahead. How could you have missed him? He shouldn't have been able to move Harry at all in that condition."

"You knew how bad it really was?" asked Severus incredulously. "Then why would you leave him there?"

Albus glared at Severus. "You don't need to know my reasons, Severus. You just need to do what you're told."

It took all of Severus' control to keep his face an emotionless mask. Ever since the Dark Lord's return, Dumbledore had begun to show his true colours, and they weren't pretty. The fact that he would leave Potter in such an abusive household was just one example.

"Show me what happened at the Dursley's," Albus demanded. As soon as Severus looked up, he said, "Legilimens!"

_Severus walked into the eerily silent house with his wand at the ready. Lupin would need to be taken out quickly. As he stepped further into the house, he saw Potter's aunt in the living room floor, stunned and bound. Severus released her from her bonds but didn't bother to revive her. She would only make matters worse._

_Starting up the stairs, he found the master bedroom empty, the bathroom empty, and the first bedroom empty. The second bedroom was open, but it too was silent. Cautiously stepping into the room, he saw Potter's uncle bound on the floor in the corner. He, however, was awake._

_Severus released the other man and asked, "What happened?" _

"_That freak, Lupin, attacked me and took off with the boy," said Vernon, huffing and grunting as he clumsily climbed to his feet._

"_Do you know where they might have gone?" asked Severus._

_Vernon just shook his head and glared at the two wizards. "I do know one thing, though. That little freak better not come back to this house. Next time, he won't get off so lightly."_

Albus cancelled the spell and sat back. Damn that interfering little wolf. Where could he have taken the brat? He absently dismissed Severus, missing the little smirk that crossed the Potions Master's face, and called the rest of the Order. They had to find Lupin and Harry as quickly as possible.

***

Bill walked into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. His mother bustled around busily, trying to finish dinner. "Mum, I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Can't it wait, dear? I still haven't finished the potatoes," said Molly.

"No, it really can't," said Bill firmly.

Molly looked at her son for a moment, seeing the utter seriousness in his eyes, and sat down at the table. "What's wrong, Bill?"

"Dumbledore modified your memories," said Bill bluntly.

"What?" asked Molly incredulously. "He wouldn't do that. What gave you the idea that he would?"

"Because I saw him do it," said Bill. "Harry's badly hurt, and Remus wanted to take him to St. Mungo's for treatment, but Dumbledore threatened to have him arrested if he took Harry out of the house. Harry was dying, and all Dumbledore was going to do is send Snape with a few healing potions."

"No," said Molly, shaking her head in denial. "He said Harry was fine. He said Severus healed him."

"I saw Harry, Mum, and he was definitely not fine. Severus had to mend a broken leg, a broken arm, and a fractured skull. He had to completely remove the bones of his left hand and regrow them. Harry had cuts and bruises covering almost his entire body," said Bill intently. "How is that fine? Dumbledore changed your memories to get you to leave, and he tried to do the same with me. It didn't work with me because I have protection against mind magic."

Molly gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, tears brimming in her eyes. She couldn't believe the Headmaster had betrayed her like that, but she knew it was true. Bill wouldn't lie to her about something as important as this. "Oh, poor Harry. We have to do something to help him."

Bill smiled reassuringly at his mother. "Remus already has. He took Harry with him, using an emergency portkey. I don't know where they are, but I'm sure Remus is taking good care of Harry." He kept his part in Remus and Harry's escape from his mother in case Dumbledore managed to get a hold of her again. He also kept the part about Harry being in a coma from her. It would only worry her, and there was nothing she could do to help.

Molly sighed in relief, but that relief was quickly chased away by rage. She scowled fiercely and climbed to her feet. "Just wait until I get my hands on that bearded monster. How dare he leave Harry in that house to be abused! And who knows how long it's been going on?" She suddenly gasped and yelled, "Ron! Get downstairs this instant!"

Ron flinched at his mother's screech, wondering what he'd done to merit it, and hurried down the stairs. He rushed into the kitchen and saw Bill sitting at the table and his mother pacing across the room angrily. "I didn't do it!"

Bill snickered at the panicked look on Ron's face. He didn't blame him, though. It never meant well for someone when Molly Weasley was in a rage like this.

"How long has Harry been abused at the Dursley's?" Molly demanded.

Ron blanched at the question. Harry hadn't wanted anyone to know the true extent of the abuse he suffered at the Dursley's. He didn't want to betray his best friend's trust, but he also didn't want his mother to punish him for not answering. When his mother's scowl darkened even more, Ron whispered a silent apology to Harry.

"All his life. His bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs until he got his Hogwarts letter. They started making him cook and do the household chores when he was four, and they barely fed him enough to keep him alive. After he started at Hogwarts, they put locks on the outside of his door to keep him locked in and pushed what little food he did get into the room through a cat flap in the door. The physical abuse wasn't too extensive until the summer before fourth year. Harry had bruises all over his chest and back when we came to get him for the World Cup game."

Molly looked more and more horrified as her son told her about Harry's home life. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed anything. She sat down heavily and started to cry. "How could I have missed this? I love Harry like a son, but I never noticed how much he was suffering. What kind of mother am I?"

"He didn't want you to know, Mum," said Ron softly. "He knew how much you cared about him, but there wasn't anything you could do to help. Sending him food every summer was enough."

Molly just cried harder. It killed her that the care packages she sent every summer were pretty much the only thing that kept Harry from starving. When Ron and the twins had rescued Harry with the Ford Anglia, Ron had even said they were starving him, but she'd just thought he was over exaggerating.

"Mum, he's safe now. Remus took him away from the Dursley's," said Bill gently.

"What?" asked Ron, staring at Bill in shock. "Remus has Harry? Where are they? Are they coming here?" He certainly hoped that was the case. He knew that Harry blamed himself for Sirius' death, and Ron was determined to knock some sense into his friend. Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius and no one else.

Molly's tears dried up in an instant, and she scowled fiercely once more. "That damn man is going to pay. How dare he leave my baby there like that?"

Bill just smiled ruefully at his mother's fiery temper and turned to answer Ron. "They can't, Ron. Dumbledore threatened to have Remus arrested if he took Harry out of the house, and now they're on the run."

Ron solemnly nodded. He honestly wasn't surprised by this revelation. After Harry had told him that Dumbledore knew about the abuse and still insisted that he return every summer, Ron had seen the Headmaster in a new light. Dumbledore just looked at the bigger picture, and he didn't care what he had to do, or who he had to manipulate to insure that outcome.

"Harry will be all right, Mum," said Ron firmly. "I'm sure of it."

Molly slowly nodded and wiped the tears off of her face. Bill looked at Ron with new respect. This was a side to his brother he'd never seen before, and he was impressed with Ron's maturity. Bill suddenly smirked mischievously. Merlin help Dumbledore when the twins found out, though. They could be downright vicious when they wanted to be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Remus held Harry securely against his chest as they landed in a large living room. Remus sighed and went in search of a bedroom. He needed to put Harry to bed and set up a few wards. He had to keep Dumbledore from finding them at all costs.

Settling Harry into the bedroom at the back of the house, Remus set up a an alarm to alert him if Harry awoke and another alarm to remind him to give Harry his next nutrient potion. With that done, Remus began to examine the wards on the house. After a few moments, he smiled wryly. Of course, he needn't have worried. Bill's house had enough wards on it to rival Grimmauld Place. Harry should be perfectly safe here.

Remus sighed wearily and headed for the bedroom beside Harry's room. It had been a long day, and it was finally catching up to him. Stripping down to his shorts, Remus climbed into bed. He would need to do a little shopping tomorrow. In his haste to get Harry away from the Dursley's, he hadn't brought along any of Harry's belongings. As he eventually fell asleep, Remus just wished Harry was well enough to go with him.

The next morning, Remus gave Harry another nutrient potion and one of the healing potions. He brushed the teen's hair away from his face. "Come on, Harry. Please wake up soon. Seeing you like this is slowly killing me."

With a soft sigh, Remus reset the alarms and left the room. He headed to the wizarding bazaar and purchased Harry a new wardrobe, groceries, and books. As he passed the menagerie, though, he saw a pair of fox kits displayed in the window. They were both solid black with bright green eyes, and Remus immediately thought that if Harry was a fox animagus, the teen would look exactly like the little kits in the window.

Staring at the tiny animals a moment longer, Remus came to a decision. He would purchase the kits for Harry. Hopefully, they would help him on the way to recovery. Besides, they were just too cute to ignore.

Remus quickly paid for the fox kits and lifted them out of the cage. The kits growled at being in such close proximity to a wolf, but Remus just calmly held them close and apparated back to Bill's cottage. He headed straight to Harry's room and set the kits on the bed with the comatose teen before unshrinking the bags with Harry's wardrobe.

Turning back to check on the kits, Remus gasped when he saw the kits bite Harry, one on each arm. He started to rush forward to help Harry, but the kits released Harry on their own and calmly lapped up the few drops of blood the welled to the surface. It was then that he realised that these two kits were Harry's true familiars. They now had an empathic link with Harry, and with time, would be able to communicate telepathically with the teen.

One of the kits whimpered sadly and licked Harry on the cheek. The other kit yipped softly and curled up beside the teen, lending whatever comfort it could. Remus sighed wearily. Harry had already suffered so much in his young life. Would it ever end?

***

Remus fed the kits and checked on Harry. Three weeks and still no change. It was heartbreaking to see Harry lying on the bed so still, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only sign that he was still alive. He was beginning to despair that his cub would never awaken.

Looking at the gifts he'd purchased for his cub, Remus could only hope that the power boost he received from his magical inheritance would be enough to revive the teen. The next two weeks would pass with excruciating slowness.

Meanwhile at Hogwarts, Dumbledore cursed softly as Severus left the room. It had been three weeks since Remus had taken Harry and disappeared, and no one had seen or heard from them since. The brat had to be found soon. Harry's sixteenth birthday was in two weeks, and that meant coming into his magical inheritance. He was already powerful, and the inheritance would give him a significant boost, making him much more difficult to control.

If he could only find Harry before that happened, he could cast a spell to repress that extra power. However, it had to be cast right at midnight on the night of his birthday. Where could they have gone?

Dumbledore had already checked all of Lupin's previous haunts, but no one had seen him in weeks. He'd asked Kingsley to check at the Ministry for any unregistered portkey usage, but he'd come back empty handed. He'd even checked all of the muggle transportation for any sign of them, but that, too, was to no avail.

Dumbledore rubbed his eyes wearily. All of his carefully thought out plans were unravelling, and it was all because of that stupid muggle. What part of physical harm did the man not get? Withholding food, neglect, and emotional abuse were fine. Such treatment had worked wonderfully to ensure that Harry trusted him. And now that was completely ruined, and all because Vernon got a little too eager to discipline the brat.

Maybe he could salvage some of this mess. Harry still had two years of school left, and neither Durmstrang and Beauxbatons accepted transfer students. So, really, Remus had no choice but to send Harry back to Hogwarts. Surely, he wouldn't deny the boy the right to finish his education.

Dumbledore smirked gleefully. And when Harry returned to Hogwarts, he would simply slip a compulsion potion into the boy's food. Unfortunately, the potion would need to be administered everyday since Harry was strong enough to resist the Imperious curse, but he was sure Severus wouldn't mind supplying the potion for him.

Little did he know, though, that all of his scheming was for naught.

***

Remus checked the time and sighed. Two minutes until midnight. Two minutes until Harry's magical inheritance. Remus sighed and jumped to his feet. These last two minutes were killing him. He just wanted his cub to awaken.

Suddenly a gray fog filled the bedroom. The fog was so dense, Remus couldn't see anything. A bright golden light then pierced the fog, and he could faintly see the outline of Harry's body enshrouded in that golden light. The golden light flared even brighter, almost blinding in intensity, before sinking into Harry's body. The fog immediately began to dissipate, revealing Harry completely.

Remus was stunned at what he saw. The teen on the bed looked nothing like the Harry he knew. Gone was the extremely short, scrawny, messy-haired boy, and in his place was a slightly taller, slender man with long black hair. No longer did he have the softer features of childhood, replaced with sharper, more defined features. Harry also now sported furry ears on the top of his head.

As Remus goggled at the changes, the teen in question finally began to awaken. He wearily opened his eyes and blinked slowly. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before he realised that he was no longer at the Dursley's. Harry bolted upright and looked around nervously, only relaxing when he saw Remus staring at him in shock.

"Remus, what's wrong?"

Remus slowly pulled himself together and sat down beside Harry. "You've been in a coma for the last five weeks, cub. That damn Dursley almost killed you."

Harry shivered in remembrance. He didn't doubt at all that he'd almost died. If Vernon had had his way, that's exactly what would've happened. However, that still didn't explain the shell-shocked look on the werewolf's face.

"So what else has happened? Me nearly dying can't be the reason for that look on your face. It's happened too many times before for it to be that shocking," said Harry calmly.

"Well, Harry, you came into your magical inheritance," said Remus nervously. "That usually means a power boost for most wizards, but for those with magical creatures in their lineage, that could mean becoming a magical creature."

Harry groaned and covered his face. "Please tell me that I'm not a magical creature. I'm freakish enough as it is."

"You are not a freak," growled Remus, pulling Harry's hands away from his face. "Those stupid muggles were the freaks, not you."

Harry stared at Remus for a moment and slowly smiled. "So what have I become?"

Remus cocked his head to the side and stared at Harry thoughtfully. "I'm not sure, actually." He grabbed one of the pillows and transfigured it into a mirror, holding it before the teen. "Take a look yourself."

Harry hesitantly looked at his reflection and gasped in surprise. The pupils of his eyes were slitted like a cat's, and now there was a golden ring around the green iris. His ears twitched, and Harry's gaze was pulled to the furry appendages. His jaw dropped in surprise, and it was then that he noticed the slightly lengthened canines.

Dropping the mirror onto the bed, Harry jumped to his feet and craned his head back to see if he had a tail, too. Seeing the fluffy black appendage waving gently behind him, Harry groaned again. What the hell had he become?

"What kind of creature looks human but has animal ears and a tail?"

"I don't know," said Remus unsurely. "I've never heard of magical creature like that."

"I really am a freak, aren't I?" asked Harry miserably. He heard Remus growl at his comment and smiled sheepishly. "Okay, I got it. I'm not a freak. I'm just some kind of fox boy."

Remus' eyes widened at Harry's description. That was it! "You're a Kitiara!"

"What in Merlin's name is that?" asked Harry curiously.

"They're magical cousins to kitsune youkai," said Remus.

"And they are?" asked Harry, completely confused.

"Fox demons!" said Remus brightly.

Harry paled. "I'm a demon?"

Remus shook his head quickly. "No, Kitiara aren't demons. Kitiara are part fox and part human. They may look like their demon cousins, but a Kitiara's powers are very different. Kitsune Youkai have extraordinary power over plants and can transform into a spirit fox. Kitiara can still do wizarding magic, but they also have an elemental power and a physical fox form."

"That doesn't sound so bad," said Harry softly. He suddenly smiled. "I guess that means I can keep you company during the full moon?"

"Speaking of company, I have a surprise for you," said Remus, looking around the room. He knelt down beside the bed and peered underneath it. Two sets of green eyes blinked back at him. "Come on, guys. Don't you want to see Harry?"

Harry stared at Remus in bemusement, wondering what in the world the other man was doing. He blinked in surprise when Remus began to talk to something or someone underneath the bed. Then he heard two soft yips before Remus help up two black kits with bright green eyes.

"These little guys are yours. They've already claimed you," said Remus, setting the kits on the bed.

Both kits yipped happily and bounded into Harry's lap, snuggling into the Kitiara's warmth. Harry timidly reached out and stroked the kits' soft fur, smiling when they rumbled contentedly. "They're so cute. Have you named them, yet?"

Remus shook his head. "They're yours, Harry. You should name them. They're both male, though."

Harry smiled delightedly. He looked at the kit on the left. "I think I'll name you Shadow." The kit yipped in agreement and curled up in Harry's lap. Harry looked at the kit on the right. "I'll name you Eclipse." The kit licked his hand and joined his brother, curling up beside the other kit. Harry looked up at Remus and said, "Thank you, Remus. Not just for the kits. Thank you for everything, especially for saving me from the Dursley's."

"You're welcome, Harry. I'm just sorry that I didn't get there sooner," said Remus regretfully.

Harry smiled bitterly. "It's not your fault. I'm sure Dumbledore had his hand in it. After all, he's known about the Dursley's abuse from the very beginning, and he hasn't lifted a hand to help. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't stop you from taking me away from there."

Remus grinned evilly. "Oh, he tried. He even threatened to have me arrested if I took you from the house. I just don't listen very well, and you have more allies than you thought."

"Really? Who helped you?" asked Harry curiously.

"Severus healed you, and then went back to Dumbledore and said we were already gone when he arrived. This lovely cottage we're in is actually Bill's house in Egypt," said Remus smugly.

"Snape really helped us?" asked Harry incredulously. "But he hates me!"

"He may not like you, but he's not heartless. He was shocked at your condition and angry that Dumbledore planned to leave you there even though he was fully aware of what would happen," said Remus gently.

Harry nodded and tried to smile. "So we're in Egypt? I always knew Bill was a great guy."

"Yeah, and when you're feeling better, we can go shopping in the Egyptian bazaar in Cairo," said Remus, trying to lighten the teen's mood.

Harry sighed and tugged lightly on his furry ear. "I don't think I'll be going out into public anytime soon, Moony."

Remus pulled Harry's hand away from his ear. "We can cover them up with a glamour if you really want to, but I think you look perfectly fine like this. You're beautiful, Harry. Don't ever be ashamed of the way you look."

Harry smiled and looked down at the kits. "I wonder if my transformation is anything like an animagus transformation, or if it's more natural." Almost as soon as he said it, Harry's body began to shrink, fur sprouting across his skin, until another tiny kit joined the two already on the bed.

Remus grinned delightedly and lifted the Harry kit into his arms. "I knew you would look just like this. You're adorable."

Harry yipped and batted Remus on the chin with his paw. As he expected, the transformation felt more natural than what Sirius had explained about the animagus transformation. His hearing and sense of smell were even more heightened, though he was completely colour blind in this form. He could clearly sense the wolf within Remus, but he wasn't at all threatened by it. Harry felt love and comfort while in the werewolf's arms. Moony would never hurt his little cub.

Remus felt a sense of peace wash over him and realised with a start of surprise that his wolf was perfectly content at the moment. In all his years as a werewolf, he'd had to endure a constant struggle with the wolf. And now because of one tiny kit, his Harry, the wolf was finally content.

Harry's body suddenly began to transform again, and Remus suddenly found his arms filled with an exuberant Harry. Harry hugged him around the neck and crowed, "That was so awesome! I can live with the ears and the tail for that alone."

Remus smiled and gently set Harry back on his feet. "Good, because I'm rather fond of the ears. They're just too cute," he said, rubbing Harry's ear between two fingers.

Harry batted Remus' hand away with a good-natured smile. "Well, now that the excitement is over, what did you get me for my birthday?"

Remus laughed. "Finally remembered, did you? You're in luck, though. I bought you some new clothes and lots of books. Oh, and the kits, of course. I'm afraid if anyone else sent you gifts, the owls weren't able to get passed the wards on the cottage."

Harry walked to the wardrobe and opened the door, his jaw dropping in surprise at the sheer amount of clothing adorning the closet. "Did you buy the whole store, Remus? There's more clothes in here than I'll ever be able to wear."

Remus flushed slightly. "I may have gone a bit overboard, but you deserve them. I've seen the clothing the Dursley's make you wear. No one deserves that."

Harry turned around and hugged Remus again. "Thank you, Moony. I love them."

Remus smiled and pointed at a nondescript trunk in the corner of the room. "Your books are over there."

Harry curiously opened the trunk and once again felt his jaw drop. The trunk was nothing more than a huge library, and every shelf was completely full. Harry eagerly climbed down the ladder and darted to each shelf, perusing the titles enthusiastically. There were books on Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dark Arts, History, Theory, Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Necromancy, Elemental Magic, Soul Magic, Shamanism, Blood Magic, Warding, and many others.

"I am never leaving this place," said Harry reverently. He vowed to read each and every one of these books. This past summer had proven that he would need a lot more experience before he could even hope to take on Voldemort. And now, thanks to Remus, he finally had the means to gain that experience.

"You'll have to eventually, Harry. You'll starve if you don't," said Remus, his eyes dancing in amusement.

Harry pouted and grabbed several books before reluctantly climbing out of the trunk. He set the books on the bedside table and crawled back into bed. He looked out the window and saw that it was still dark outside. "What time is it?"

"A little after one."

Harry saw the dark shadows under Remus' eyes and sighed softly. The man had obviously been more worried about taking care of Harry than taking care of himself. Harry pointed imperiously toward the door. "Go to bed, Remus. I'm perfectly fine."

Remus started at Harry's command, and a smile crossed his face. "You look just like your mother when you do that." Harry growled threateningly. Remus snickered and headed toward the door. "Calm down, kit. I'm going already. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Moony," said Harry, extinguishing the light in the room. The kits curled up against his side, and Harry smiled at the hum of contentment coming across the bond.

***

"Harry, lunch is ready," called Remus.

Harry finished up the chapter he was reading and marked his place, setting the book on the end table. Heading to the kitchen, Harry breathed in the delicious aroma of whatever Remus had cooked for lunch. "Smells good, Remus," he said, sitting down at the table.

Remus smiled and set a plate filled with steaming lasagna and warm, buttery garlic bread down in front of the teen. Harry's mouth watered in anticipation as he lifted a piece of garlic bread to his mouth. He hummed appreciatively at the first bite and quickly took another bite. Due to his five week coma, this was the first solid meal he'd had since waking, and Merlin was it delicious.

"You have got to cook more often, Moony. This is absolutely divine," said Harry, licking the meat sauce off of his fork.

Remus grinned in amusement. "After a week of chicken broth for every meal, anything would taste great."

Harry shook his head and swallowed the food in his mouth. "Uh uh. The lasagna Aunt Petunia made didn't taste nearly as good as this, and she certainly didn't think to add this delicious bread to the meal."

"Well, thank you," said Remus. It was nice to see Harry truly enjoying his meal.

Harry cleaned his plate and carried his plate to the stove to get seconds. Scooping a large portion of lasagna and two more pieces of garlic bread onto his plate, Harry settled back down at the table and started to eat. Remus just shook his head in amazement as the teen cleaned his plate once more. He didn't think he'd ever seen Harry eat this much at one sitting.

Gulping down the last bite, Harry sat back with a satisfied sigh. He looked up and saw Remus' amused stare and grinned sheepishly. "What? I was hungry."

"I saw. It's nice to see you eating so well, though," said Remus warmly. "Are you ready for dessert?"

Harry sat up eagerly. "There's dessert? What is it? Tell me!"

Remus laughed at the teen's enthusiasm and got up from his seat. He walked over to the pantry and grabbed a covered dish from within, snickering as Harry's eyes followed his every movement. He set the dish on the table and lifted the lid with a flourish. "Prepare for the wonderful goodness that is Bread and Butter Pudding and Blackberry Crumble."

Harry snatched up his plate and held it out to Remus with wide, pleading eyes. Remus chuckled and spooned some of each dessert onto the teen's plate. Harry happily dug into his dessert, humming appreciatively with every bite. When he was finally done, he pushed his plate away and sat back, rubbing his pleasantly full belly.

"Was it good, kit?" asked Remus in amusement.

"Very," sighed Harry. "If I had known you could cook like this, I would kicked Mrs. Weasley out of the kitchen at Grimmauld Place and let you have at it."

"I don't think she would have liked that very much," said Remus ruefully. "Besides, Mrs. Weasley cooks very well."

Harry smiled wryly. "She does. She's been a life saver more than once with those summer care packages."

Remus frowned and started to say something, but a sharp tap on the window caused him to jerk around in surprise. There was a large barn owl at the window. He looked at Harry and said, "Stay there. Dumbledore may have found a way around the wards."

Remus opened the window, and the barn owl flew into the kitchen, swooping immediately toward Harry. The owl dropped a letter in front of the teen and flew right back outside, oblivious to the panic it had just created. Harry looked down at the letter and saw an unfamiliar seal. He slowly reached for the letter only to have Remus snatch it up first.

Remus didn't recognise the seal, either. He hesitantly opened the letter and almost dropped it when he saw who it was from. This was the perfect solution. Now Harry would never have to return to Hogwarts and that manipulative Headmaster.

"What is it, Remus?" asked Harry curiously. Remus just smiled and handed the letter to him. Harry took the letter, wondering at the smug smile on Remus' face.

Dear Mr. Potter,

It has come to our attention that you have recently come into a magical creature inheritance. With the constant prejudice abounding within the wizarding world against magical creatures, we would like to invite you to attend our school. The courses at Arcane Academy focus on teaching all magical creatures to utilise their powers to the best of their ability. As such, you will most likely encounter every sentient magical creature imaginable: vampires, lycanthropes, fae, elves, veela, sirens, lamia, demons, goblins, drakes, and magi to name a few.

We eagerly await your reply. To do so, just sign the bottom of this letter, state what race of being you are, and add a single drop of your blood. Once we receive an affirmative reply, we will send your school list and time of departure.

Jackson Durrough

Deputy Headmaster

Harry looked up at Remus with barely concealed hope. "Can I go, Remus? I really don't want to go back to Hogwarts."

"Yes, Harry. This is just the solution I was hoping to find. Neither Durmstrang or Beauxbatons accept transfer students, and I was afraid you wouldn't be able to finish your schooling because of it. This is perfect. I was invited to attend, but my parents had already agreed to send me to Hogwarts. Arcane Academy will teach you how to use and control your new powers, and they have so many protective and secrecy wards on the school, Dumbledore has no hope of ever finding you there," said Remus.

Harry nodded and signed his name at the bottom of the letter, adding that he was a Kitiara beneath that. He then pricked his finger and squeezed a drop of blood onto the parchment. Immediately the writing disappeared, and new writing appeared on the parchment.

We have received your acceptance. Here is a list of items you will need to bring with you. The book list is as follows:

_The Elements and How to Use Them_ by Emmeline Aqua.

_The Healing Arts_ by Jasmine Helios

_Blood Rites_ by Lucavarius Sanguini

_Warding_ by Fabian Pritchett

_Magi Book of Spells_ by Gloria Magehurst

_Ancient Runes_ by Caleb Mickens

_Basic Arithmancy_ by Keegan McDaniels

_Book Six of Standard Potions_ by Malcolm Brewster

You will also need to have the following list of items.

Ritual knife

Standard Pewter Cauldron

Brass scales

Student Ingredient Package (available at the Egyption bazaar in Cairo, Belvedere Square in Switzerland, and Hankagai Kyuudou in Japan)

Uniforms are not required. All we ask is that you bring appropriate clothing for class.

Wands are not allowed. If a focus is needed, it will be created once you are at the school.

Familiars are welcome as long as they are properly disciplined and do not attack the other students without provocation.

School starts September 1st. Portkeys will be provided from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM that morning at the Gringotts branches in Egypt, Switzerland, and Japan. We look forward to seeing you then.

Harry looked up at Remus. "Did you find my wand at the Dursley's?"

Remus groaned softly. "I didn't even think about it. I just grabbed you and left."

"That's actually a good thing, I guess. Wands aren't allowed at Arcane Academy. It says that if I do need a focus, they'll create one when I get there," said Harry. "Oh, and I get to take Shadow and Eclipse with me."

"Can you get everything you need from the Egyptian Bazaar, or will we need to shop somewhere else?" asked Remus pragmatically.

"The Egyptian Bazaar is fine," said Harry, handing the letter to Remus.

Remus scanned the letter and laughed softly. "It looks like you'll have an interesting year. We'll go shopping tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good," said Harry excitedly. "I'm gonna go look at all the books you bought for my birthday. You may have already bought some of them."

"You want some help?" asked Remus. He liked spending time with Harry. He would have done so more often if Dumbledore hadn't interfered, sending him on Order missions left and right.

Harry looked at him incredulously. "Want help? Of course, I do. Have you actually looked at the number of books you bought? There's got to be hundreds of them."

Remus grinned sheepishly. "I got a little carried away. Books are my passion."

Harry laughed and hooked his arm around Remus'. "Moony, my little bookworm, the books are greatly appreciated. It'll just take a while to read them all." He pulled the werewolf toward his bedroom.

Harry flipped the trunk lid open and climbed down the ladder. Remus followed him down the ladder, and they spent the next three hours cataloguing the numerous books in his new library. Once they were done, Harry only needed to buy two of the books on his list. He already owned the rest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

September 1st arrived all too quickly. Harry practically quivered in anticipation. Packing the last of his clothes into his trunk, Harry imperiously demanded, "Now shrink it!"

Remus grinned at the demand and bowed mockingly. "Yes, master. As you wish, master."

Harry crossed his arms and nodded. "Now that's more like it. Moony, my dearest slave, we're off to Gringotts." He couldn't hold up the imperious image any longer and burst into laughter. He put the shrunken trunk in his pocket and picked up his two kits. "Okay, we're ready now."

Remus pulled Harry into his arms and apparated them to the Egyptian bazaar. They made their way to Gringotts and Harry walked up to one of the goblins. "Can you tell me where to go for a portkey to Arcane Academy?"

The goblin looked at Harry curiously, eyes widening when he saw the teen's ears and tail. "A Kitiara," he breathed in awe. "I haven't seen one of your kind since I was wee goblet."

"Really? What were they like?" asked Harry curiously.

The goblin just shook his head and said, "For the portkey to Arcane Academy, go to the first door on the left."

Harry sighed at the dismissal and headed in the direction he was given. He entered the room to find several people already present. A boy with wild auburn hair and amber eyes smiled like some sort of feline. On his shoulder perched a fierce looking falcon. A girl with pale blonde hair and dark blue eyes reminded him strongly of Fleur Delacour, so he figured she was a veela. There was a man in the far corner, calmly observing everyone else. He had black hair with dark green streaks and stormy grey eyes, and a band of green scales around his neck.

"You need a portkey for Arcane Academy?"

Harry started in surprise at the question. He hadn't even noticed the goblin approaching him. "Yes, I do."

The goblin smirked and held out a scroll. Harry held Shadow and Eclipse with one arm and reached out with the other to grab the scroll. The goblin's smirk widened. "Arcane Academy." Harry gasped at the sharp tug to his navel and disappeared.

Harry landed on the ground in a graceless heap, barely managing to keep from falling on the kits. Making sure they were both all right, he climbed to his feet with an embarrassed groan. Harry gasped when he caught his first glimpse of Arcane Academy. If he thought Hogwarts was impressive, it paled in comparison to the magnificence of this castle. The entire structure was crafted in solid white marble built into the side of the mountain. What made it even more impressive was the fact that the castle stood taller than the mountain itself.

"Wow," said Harry softly.

"Yeah, but the stairs can a be a bitch. It sucks when you have a class on second floor, and you're next class is on the tenth."

Harry started in surprise and looked over at the person standing beside him. It was the guy from Gringotts- the one with the green streaks in his hair. "Oh, I'm used to things like that. I had to climb at least seven stories every day at my old school."

The teen looked at Harry for a long moment before holding out his hand. "Zane Mitchell. I'm a born Incubus. And you?"

Harry hesitated for a moment. This was his chance for a new start, and he didn't want his name ruining it for him. On the other hand, he didn't want to form potential friendships based on lies. He sighed softly and shook Zane's hand. "Harry Potter, Kitiara through inheritance."

Zane's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the other teen's name. Then he saw Harry's shoulders tense and saw the weary resignation in his vivid green eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Ry. I have to admit, this is the first time I've encountered a Kitiara. I've met several Kitsune demons, though. You look a lot alike."

Harry smiled shyly at the new nickname, grateful that Zane hadn't made a big deal of his fame. "Yeah, Moony said the only real difference between Kitiara and Kitsune is the magic. Kitiara can use wizarding and elemental magic while Kitsune have power over plants and demonic power."

Zane looked at the two kits in Harry's arms and smirked. "I bet you look just like your little kits when you transform, don't you?"

Harry blushed slightly and looked down at his feet, unaccustomed to the light flirting. Ignoring the question, he looked back up at Zane. "How long have you attended Arcane Academy?"

"This is my seventh year here, but since I'm planning on getting a Master's in warding, I'll probably be here another three years after graduation," said Zane easily.

"Really? I guess I hadn't even thought what I might want to master in," said Harry softly. "Hogwarts doesn't offer additional training after graduation."

"Oi! Zane!"

Harry turned and saw a man with spiky blonde hair running toward them. Zane smirked slightly. "It's about time you got here, Grey. What took you so long?"

"Just the usual," said Grey absently, turning a curious stare toward Harry. "And who's this delectable morsel?"

Harry scowled at the question, his ears twitching irritably. Who did this guy think he was, treating him like he was a piece of meat? Mirroring his mood, Eclipse and Shadow bared their teeth and growled at the blonde.

Grey just grinned unrepentantly at the other teen. "How adorable. The little Kitsune's familiars defending their master's honour."

"I am not a Kitsune," said Harry coldly, tapping into his inner Slytherin. "I am a Kitiara. Don't make assumptions based on appearance. It could get you killed one day."

Zane looked at Harry in surprise. Gone was the shy teen from a moment ago, replaced with a cool and composed aristocrat. Obviously, there was more to the foxy teen than he'd thought. "Grey, this is Harry. He is a Kitiara through inheritance and will be attending our illustrious school for the first time. Harry, this is my best friend, Dougrey- Grey for short, and he is a were-tiger."

"So what classes are you taking, Harry?" asked Grey cheerfully.

"I don't really know, yet. However, my booklist did include books on elemental magic, healing, blood rites, warding, arithmancy, ancient runes, and potions," said Harry.

Grey stared at Harry for a long moment. "Not much of a fighter, are you? Those are all passive classes."

Harry bristled at the insinuation that he was weak. "Have you faced off against Voldemort five times and survived to tell the tale?"

"Are you suggesting you have?" asked Grey with a snort of disbelief.

Harry brushed his hair away from his forehead, revealing the damning scar on his head. "It wasn't a suggestion, you obnoxious jerk. It is a fact." With that said, Harry turned on his heel and stormed away from the irritating teen, stalking angrily toward the castle.

Grey stared after the irate Kitiara completely dumbfounded. Zane sighed and whacked him across the back of the head. "Nice going, Grey. I quite liked Harry and was looking forward to being friends with him, but you just had to open your big mouth and ruin everything."

"That little thing was Harry Potter?" whispered Grey incredulously.

Zane punched Grey in the shoulder. "It's times like these when I can understand why I'm your only friend. You have absolutely no tact."

"Well, I'm sorry. It's just hard to believe that such a cute little fox is the famous Harry Potter, defeater of Dark Lords," said Grey defensively. "I wonder why he's taking those particular classes."

Zane scowled at Grey and shook his head in exasperation. "I don't know how I can be friends with such a moron." At the blank look on Grey's face, he sighed irritably. "Kitiara are elemental creatures that can also do wizarding magic, Grey. He doesn't really need to learn any more offensive magic than that. That's why the rest of his classes focus on defence and healing."

"Oh, that makes sense," said Grey slowly.

"In other words, he could probably kick your arse without even trying," said Zane snidely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make amends for your little fuck up."

"I said I'm sorry," whined Grey childishly. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to, Grey," said Zane bluntly.

"Fine, I'll apologise to the little kit," said Grey with a pout.

"You can start by not calling him 'the little kit,'" said Zane wryly.

Grey grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess that would probably help. He's just so adorable, though."

Zane smiled ruefully at the lycanthrope. "Come on, Grey. We better catch up with Harry before he gets lost or harassed further."

***

"Who does that jerk think he is? Being short does not equate being weak," muttered Harry angrily as he stalked toward the castle doors. Lost in his fury, Harry didn't realise there was someone in front of him until he'd walked right into them, staggering back several steps from the unyielding body. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I... was... going." His voice trailed off as he looked up at the person in front of him. The man in front of him had to be at least seven and half feet tall with large, leathery black wings on his back and a long reptilian tail swinging lazily behind him.

"Yes, I noticed," drawled the man in amusement. He held out a large hand. "I'm Zenith Waverly, lone Dracken of Arcane Academy."

Harry slowly placed his hand in Zenith's and asked, "What exactly is a Dracken?"

Zenith smiled broadly and shook the little kit's hand. "Dragon demon." He finally released Harry's hand and cocked his head to the side. "Got a name, little one?"

Harry scowled at the dragon. Was everyone going to comment about his height? "It's Harry, and anyone would be little against a bloody giant like you."

Zenith laughed at that. "Well, I'm glad to see the newest Kitsune isn't afraid to stand up for himself."

Harry sighed irritably. "I'm a Kitiara, not a Kitsune."

Zenith stared at Harry in surprise. "Really? There hasn't been a Kitiara at this school in ages."

"Yeah. I guess I'm a one of a kind, as well," said Harry dryly.

Zenith snickered at the rueful retort and nodded his head toward the castle doors. "Come on. I'll show you around a bit. I'm starting my apprenticeship in Blood Magic this year."

"Okay," said Harry, following the Dracken into the castle.

"This is the Entrance Hall. To your right is the Dining Hall, and to the left is the first floor of the library. Straight ahead, of course, is the stairwell. Second floor has Transfigurations, Charms, Blood Magic, the library, and first year dorms. Third Floor has Healing, Warding, Elemental Magic, the library, and second year dorms. Fourth Floor has Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Potions, Magi Arts, and third year dorms. Fifth Floor has Necromancy, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dark Arts, Demon Magic and fourth year dorms. Sixth Year has Sex Magic, Soul Magic, Shamanic Magic, and fifth year dorms. Seventh Floor has Divination, the Headmistress' office, the Deputy Headmaster's office, and sixth year dorms. Eight Floor has seventh year dorms, and Ninth Floor has the apprentice dorms. The Tenth Floor has astronomy and Lunar Magic." Zenith paused in his explanations and looked down at Harry. "So what year are you?"

"Well, I was going into my sixth year at Hogwarts, but my classes here are entirely different," said Harry. "The only class that's the same is Potions."

"You'll be on in sixth year dorms, then," said Zenith. "So what other classes are you taking?"

"Healing, Blood Rites- oh, I guess it would actually be Blood Magic, though- Elemental Magic, Warding, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and I guess Magi Arts," said Harry hesitantly.

Zenith looked at Harry for long moment and nodded thoughtfully. "That's a well-rounded curriculum. I think you'll like those classes here. The teachers are great. Only two of them are human, though. Ms. Cassidy teaches Arithmancy, and Mr. Halloway teaches Magi Arts." He nodded toward the Dining Hall. "Let's go eat. We won't get our course schedules or dorm room assignments until after lunch."

"Do we have to sit at any particular table?" asked Harry, blinking in surprise when he stepped into the room. On one side of the room, there were several long buffet bars while the rest of the room had numerous small tables that seated no more than eight. "I guess not."

"No, meals are very informal here," said Zenith, pulling Harry over to the buffet bars. He picked up two plates and handed one to Harry. "Knock yourself out."

Harry set Eclipse and Shadow down and took the plate, perusing what was offered on the buffet bars. He put a small piece of grilled chicken, several strawberries, apple slices, carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli on his plate and followed Zenith to a table. The Dracken's plate was brimming with food, and most of it was meat.

"Is that all you're eating?" asked Zenith incredulously, gazing from his over-full plate to Harry's fruit and vegetable laden plate. "It's no wonder you're so tiny if that's all you eat."

Harry looked down at his plate sullenly. His two kits jumped up onto his lap and yipped indignantly at the dragon demon. Harry smiled at their defence and petted their soft fur soothingly. "I was in a coma for a few weeks, and I'm still adjusting to eating solid foods again. I just can't stomach anything heavy right now." He'd learned that the hard way after gorging on Remus' delicious lasagna after waking from his coma. As much as he'd enjoyed the meal, it had come back to bite him in the arse and few hours later, making his stomach knot in agony.

Zenith groaned softly and smacked himself on the forehead. "I'm sorry, Harry. I never learned when to keep my mouth shut."

Harry shrugged. "You couldn't have known. Don't worry about it." He fed his two kits some of the grilled chicken and nibbled on his fruit.

Zenith watched him for a moment and then smiled. He put some of the chicken he had on his plate on a napkin and slid it toward Harry. "Here. The kits can have this, too. They deserve it for being such loyal friends."

Harry smiled at the unexpected offering. "Thanks, Zenith."

"So what had you so angry when we first met?" asked Zenith curiously. He didn't want Harry mad at him, but he had to admit that the little Kitiara was quite fetching when he was angry.

Harry scowled as he remembered the irritating were-tiger that angered him earlier. "Just some condescending were-tiger making an arse of himself."

"Did you hear that, Grey? He's got your number perfectly."

Harry looked up and saw Zane grinning at a sullen Grey. He raised an eyebrow at Zane, pointedly ignoring the sulking tiger. "Hello, Zane. Would you like to join Zenith and me for lunch?"

Grey growled irritably. "Where's my invitation? I'm standing here, too."

Harry ignored him completely and continued to look only at Zane. "Zenith was just telling me where all the classes and dorms were. The classes sound much more interesting than my previous classes, even if they are passive classes."

Grey's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm an idiot, and I never should have said that."

"No, you shouldn't have," said Harry pertly. "Just because I'm smaller than you does not make me weak. My classes may focus on defensive measures, but I am far from helpless."

"I know," said Grey apologetically. "Zane's already informed me of that. I really am sorry, Harry. Please believe me."

Harry looked up into Grey's earnest face and smiled slightly. "I accept your apology, Grey. Just don't let it happen again."

"I won't," said Grey, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"Grey, this is Zenith," said Harry. "He's a Dracken and will be starting an apprenticeship in Blood Rites this year. Zenith, this Grey, the condescending were-tiger I was telling you about. I'm afraid I don't know anything else about him." He then turned to Zane. "And this is Zane, the idiot tiger's best friend. He's an Incubus."

Zenith grinned in amusement at the introduction. "I've seen you two around, but we've never actually met. It's nice to meet you, though. I met Harry because of you. He was so blinded by rage that he literally ran into me."

Harry rolled his eyes and huffed. "It was like running into a wall, too. He didn't budge an inch while I almost fell on my arse."

"I can see why. He's a bloody giant," whispered Zane conspiratorially.

Harry grinned at the Incubus. "That's what I said." He smirked at Zenith. "But Zenith and I are the only ones of our kind here, so we have to stick together. Right, Zenith?"

"Yep. We loners have to stick together," said Zenith, nodding sagely.

Harry snickered, feeling happier than he had in a long time. He missed Ron and Hermione, of course, but his friendship with them was constantly strained by rivalries and the imminent threat of Voldemort weighing on him. Here, he was able to make a fresh start. The people here didn't really care who he was.

A new table appeared against the far wall. It was the longest table in the room, and it had numerous boxes labelled by letter along the length of it. Almost immediately, people began to gather around the table, searching through the boxes for something.

"Our timetables are ready," said Grey, jumping to his feet eagerly.

"They're sorted by last name, so just find the box labelled P, Harry," said Zane helpfully as he followed his hyper friend to the table.

Harry quickly finished his fruit and picked up his kits, heading toward the table. He found his schedule and sighed at the predictability of it all. He had potions first thing every Monday morning.

_**Monday**_

_Potions_ 9:00- 12:00

_Healing_ 2:00- 5:00

_**Tuesday**_

_Blood Rites_ 9:00- 12:00

_Arithmancy_ 2:00- 5:00

_**Wednesday**_

_Warding_ 9:00- 12:00

_Elemental Magic_ 2:00- 5:00

_**Thursday**_

_Magi Arts_ 9:00- 12:00

_Ancient Runes_ 2:00- 5:00

_**Friday**_

_Independent Study and Tutoring (if needed)_

"Wow, I like this kind of schedule," said Harry happily. "I only have potions once a week."

"I take it you don't like potions," said Zane, grinning in amusement.

"If you'd had the same teacher I did, you wouldn't like potions either," said Harry defensively. "Snape delighted in making my life miserable every chance he got."

"The classes are arranged that way because there are fewer students in each class, so the professors can devote more time to each student during the class period," Zenith explained. "You should also have a free day to do independent studies or arrange for a tutor to help you with the classes you struggle in."

"Like I said, I like this kind of schedule," said Harry, grinning at the demon.

Zane snatched the timetable out of Harry's hand, scowling when he saw that he only had one class with the Kitiara. "That's not fair. The only class I have with you is Ancient Runes."

"Let me see," said Grey, reading over Zane's shoulder. He whooped delightedly. "I have four classes with him." He smirked at Harry. "I'm in your Potions class, Magi Arts, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes class. Yeah me."

"Congratulations," said Harry dryly. "I'm thrilled for you."

"Well, if you need any help with your Blood Rites class, you can always come to me. I'd be happy to help," offered Zenith.

"Thanks, I appreciate that," said Harry gratefully. He looked at his schedule again and saw dorm assignments at the bottom of the page. He was assigned to the sixth year dorms, and his roommate was someone named Tristan Hayward. "Hey, do any of you know a Tristan Hayward? Apparently, he's my new roommate."

Zane and Grey looked at him in dismay. "Tristan? You poor thing," said Grey sympathetically.

Zane nodded in agreement. "He's a weather faerie, though he calls himself a Tempest Sidhe. He's also a real arse. Every roommate he's had for the last five years left the school within six months just to get away from him. I feel bad for you, Harry. You're in for a rough time."

Harry sighed glumly. A difficult roommate was the last thing he needed. And with that reputation, chances were nil that he'd actually find someone willing to trade rooms. Oh well, if he could put up with Snape and Malfoy on a daily basis, he could put with this kid.

"Don't worry so much, Harry. It's not like you have to spend that much time with him," said Zenith reassuringly. "You're only required to stay in the dorms from midnight to five in the morning. I'm sure you deal with five hours, right?"

"I'm not worried," said Harry calmly. "I've dealt with worse, I'm sure."

Grey nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Tristan's got nothing on Voldemort, and you've faced him lots of times."

"Wait. What?" asked Zenith, shaking his head in confusion. He looked at Harry with raised eyebrows. "You've faced Voldemort?"

Harry scowled at Grey. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he? He looked up at Zenith and brushed his hair away from his forehead. "I'm Harry Potter. Yes, I've faced Voldemort several times over the last five years."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, that won't impress the demons that much. Demons as a whole are worse than that upstart any day of the week," said Zenith. He'd heard of Harry Potter, of course. Everyone interacting within the magical community had heard his name. Demons, however, didn't care at all about wizards and their inane war.

"It's always nice to know that there are worse things than Voldemort out there," said Harry dryly. "As long as they don't set their sights on me, I'll be perfectly fine. One psychopath trying to kill is all I can deal with right now."

"Glad I could help," said Zenith facetiously. "Why don't I show you to your dorm now? Maybe your new roommate will already be there."

"Thanks, Zenith. You know just the things to say to brighten up my day," said Harry wryly. "But you're right. I may as well get this over with sooner rather than later."

Grey draped his arm across Harry's shoulders. "Don't worry, little kit. We'll be right there with you."

Harry growled softly and elbowed Grey in the stomach, causing the were-tiger to grunt in pain. "I can handle it, Grey. I don't need a big, strong man to protect me."

Zane just shook his head at his friend, pulling Grey away from Harry. "You never learn, do you?"

"I can't help it," whined Grey. "He's just too adorable."

Harry hissed at the were-tiger angrily. He was not adorable, dammit! Eclipse and Shadow growled in response to their master's anger, but that just made things worse. Even Zenith was hard pressed not to say 'Ahh' at the adorable threesome. With his ears pressed back and his tail bristled in anger and his little fangs bared in a snarl, Harry looked like an angry kitten.

"Grey, leave him alone," said Zane, hiding a smile at Harry's reaction. He hated to admit it, and he would never say it to Harry's face, but the Kitiara really was adorable. "Come on, Harry. I'll walk with you. I need to find my room, anyway."

Harry nodded and walked with Zane out of the Dining Hall, ignoring Grey completely. He paused at the door and looked back at Zenith. "Are you coming, Zenith?"

Zenith smirked at the sulking were-tiger and said, "Yes, I'm coming." He sauntered out of the room without a care in the world. This year was proving to be entertaining.

Grey pouted at being excluded like that. Harry was so mean to him. It wasn't his fault the little kit was so damn adorable. Oh well, he'd given them enough of a head start. It was time to track down his little kit once more.

***

Harry stepped into his assigned room and looked around curiously. There was a large four poster bed on each side of the room, two desks, two bookshelves, and two wardrobes. He was also surprised to find that there was also a small bathroom attached.

Seeing a trunk at the foot of the bed closest to the door, Harry moved over to the other side of the room. He set his kits down on the bed and pulled his shrunken trunk out of his pocket, enlarging it with two quick taps on the lid. Remus was kind enough to charm it to respond only to his magical signature since he didn't have a wand at the moment.

"You want some help?" asked Zane.

"If you don't mind. Can you put my books on the bookshelf?" asked Harry, reaching into his trunk. He pulled out an armful of books and set them on the bed before reaching for more.

Zane's eyebrows shot up at the sheer number of books the little kit removed from his trunk. He practically had an entire library in there. "Got enough books there, Harry?"

Harry blushed slightly. "They were a gift."

"What can I do?" asked Zenith.

"You can enlarge this bookshelf," said Zane. "I don't think all these books will fit on this unless you do."

Zenith snickered and dutifully enlarged the bookshelf. "You want anything else changed?"

"Can you change the bed covers to black, silver, and green? That stark white reminds me too much of the hospital wing," said Harry with a slight shudder.

"Sure thing." Zenith quickly changed the bedcovers and added a privacy ward as well. It, at least, would give Harry a little added protection when he was asleep. Once he was done with that, he decided to help Zane with the rest of the books.

Harry, on the other hand, decided to put away his clothing. Dragging his trunk over to the wardrobe, he stowed his socks and underpants in the two drawers before hanging his shirts and trousers on the rack. Lastly, he placed his shoes on the bottom shelf in the wardrobe and shut the door. Now he just had to put away the rest of his school supplies.

"We're done. You need anything else?" asked Zane cheerfully.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Nope, you've done more than enough. Thanks for all the help."

"Then I'd best get to my own dorm. I'll see you at breakfast, yeah."

"Of course, Zane. Have a good night," said Harry softly. He watched the Incubus walk out of the room with a fond smile.

"I'd best be going, as well. Don't let the little faerie run you off, Harry," said Zenith.

"I won't. I'm stronger than that," Harry promised. "I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and if you see Grey, tell him he's forgiven."

Zenith smirked. "Will do. Good night, little one."

"Good night, giant," said Harry teasingly.

Zenith smiled at taunt and left. He really hoped Harry was as strong as he thought he was. He quite liked the little Kitiara and didn't want him to get hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione stared woefully out the train's window. She still couldn't believe that Dumbledore would do something like that. She'd trusted him and looked up to him. To learn that he knew of the abuse Harry had to endure at his relatives was simply mind-boggling. And to go so far as to Obliviate Mrs. Weasley was just terrible. Hermione didn't think she would be able to look Dumbledore in the face any more.

"I miss you, Harry," she whispered softly.

"I do, too, Hermione. It's for the best, though. While Dumbledore's here, there's no way he can come back to school," said Ron comfortingly.

Hermione nodded reluctantly. She worried about him, though. Voldemort was still after Harry, he needed to learn all he could to survive. "Do you think he'll ever write?"

"It's too risky," said Ron bluntly. "If Dumbledore were to find him, who knows what would happen? He already Obliviated my mum. Just think what he would try to do to Harry to keep him under his thumb."

"You're right," sighed Hermione. "I hope he's okay wherever he is."

"Harry's a survivor, Hermione. Now that he's away from those horrid muggles, I'm sure he's perfectly fine," said Ron confidently.

***

Harry looked up curiously when the door opened, revealing a tall, slender teen with long fiery, red hair and piercing violet eyes. The teen took one look at Harry and sneered contemptuously.

"A Kitsune? They could at least have given me a roommate with elemental abilities, but I guess they're getting pretty desperate these days. No one seems to last very long."

Harry sighed irritably. "First of all, I am not a Kitsune, and obviously this school needs to teach their students how to differentiate between Kitiara and Kitsune, or the students need to learn to quit jumping to conclusions. Second of all, as a Kitiara, I do have elemental abilities, so quit whingeing. And lastly, you don't scare me. I've dealt with worse."

Tristan was slightly impressed with the little kit's acerbic reply, though he would never admit it. This kid, at least, had a backbone. He wondered how long it would last.

"We'll see just how long that backbone of your's lasts," mused Tristan.

"Oh, that's something that will never change," said Harry with fierce determination. He hadn't let his relatives or Voldemort break him, and he certainly wouldn't let this boy or anyone else do so, either.

Tristan just smirked and pointed his finger at Harry, pulling electricity from the atmosphere into his hands. "Bang." A jolt of electricity shot from his finger toward Harry.

Harry transformed into his fox form before he even realised what was happening, and lightning bolt struck the wall where his head had been. The sudden shift in forms threw him off balance, though, and his paws slid out from under him. As he tried to get his bearings back, he was startled by the sound of soft laughter before Tristan grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him to face level.

"I could so easily snap your neck like this," said Tristan musingly, lifting his other hand to idly stroke the kit's chin before delicately encircling its tiny neck.

Harry suddenly shifted back and knocked the faerie's hand away from him. "I don't scare that easily. You can be an arse all you like, I'm still not leaving." He could definitely see why Tristan didn't keep a roommate for long, but he was made of sterner stuff. He refused to allow the bastard to intimidate him.

Tristan snorted softly and smiled coldly. "We'll see, little kit. The term has just begun. I've got all year to break you."

Harry ignored the irritating faerie. He merely grabbed his pyjamas and stalked to the bathroom, locking and warding the door with every spell he knew. Angrily pulling off his clothes, Harry stepped into the warm shower. The hot water relaxed him, soothing away his anger, until he heard a pained yip from the bedroom.

Harry jumped out of the shower, almost falling when his feet slipped on the tile, and ran into the bedroom. He saw Tristan holding Shadow by the scruff of his neck with one hand while the other hand was crackling with electricity. A fiery rage surged through Harry at the sight. Burning hot flames raced to his fingertips, and the temperature in the room increased dramatically.

"Put him down before I fry your arse," Harry growled dangerously.

Tristan saw the deadly promise in his roommate's eyes and knew that he wasn't someone to cross this early in the game. Even nude, Harry was an intimidating sight in his righteous fury. However, Tristan refused to just back down without some kind of fight.

"You wouldn't actually do that. You might hurt your precious kit if you do," said Tristan mockingly.

The faerie really shouldn't have estimated Harry, though. Harry smirked at the other boy and watched patiently until Tristan finally felt the heat underneath his feet. Unfortunately for Tristan, he was so focussed on his standoff with Harry that he didn't notice until his shoes caught on fire.

"Shit!" yelped Tristan when he felt the flames lapping at his ankles. He dropped the kit he was holding and used his water element to douse the flames. Once the fire was out, he gingerly pulled off his shoes and socks, wincing in pain as the material scraped against his burnt flesh. Both feet were red and raw and throbbing with pain. He doubted he'd even be able to walk to the infirmary, much less classes in the morning.

A slender, tanned hand settled gently on his foot, and a soothing, cool sensation swept the pain away. Tristan was shocked to see his roommate kneeling beside him, healing the damage he'd caused. Within minutes, all traces of the painful burns were gone, and Tristan sighed in relief. He looked at Harry for a long moment and asked the question bugging him for answers.

"Why did you heal me? I would have killed your pet if you hadn't stopped me."

Harry sighed softly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't like hurting people. I will if it means protecting my loved ones, but I don't like doing it." He cradles his shivering kit to his chest, the beating of his heart calming his familiar, and climbed to his feet. "However, if you ever try to hurt my kits again, I'll hurt you in ways not even the best healer can fix."

"You might want to put on some clothes first, though," said Tristan lightly. He wasn't an idiot, though, and didn't take Harry's threat lightly. That little Kitiara was a veritable powerhouse that could kick his arse any day of the week, heal the damage, and do it all again.

Harry frowned in confusion and looked down before blushing furiously. He'd been in such a hurry to save Shadow, he'd completely forgotten about his clothes. "Shut up, jerk. It's all your fault anyway." He glared at the smirking faerie and stormed into the bathroom to get dressed.

Tristan's smirk turned into a grin as the bathroom door slammed behind the irate Kitiara. "I might actually have to keep this roommate around. It's been ages since I've been so entertained, or so challenged." His smirk returned as an image of Harry's nude body came to mind. "Of course, the view wasn't at all bad, either."

***

Harry put his Potions and Healing texts in his bag and got to his feet. "Come on, Shadow. Let's go, Eclipse. It's time for breakfast."

"Must you be so loud?" whinged Tristan, burying his head under the pillow.

Harry looked at the sleepy faerie and grinned. "Yes, I must. I really must. Besides, if it bothers you that much, use a Silencing charm. Then you wouldn't have to hear me at all."

Tristan moved his pillow and glared at Harry. "Go away, you insufferable fox. I'm trying to sleep here."

Harry just laughed and walked out of the room with a cheerful smile, Shadow and Eclipse following dutifully at his heels. He hurried down the stairs to the Dining Hall, hoping to see Zane or Zenith, but neither of them were there yet. With a disappointed sigh, Harry went to the buffet table and fixed him and his kits a plate of fruits, sausages, and toast.

His quiet morning was shattered, however, as he sat down to eat by a snide voice from behind him. "Well, if it isn't another damn Kitsune. You bloody foxes must breed like rabbits."

Harry sighed and looked at the newcomer. It was a tall, slender boy with light blue skin and pitch black hair. "Obviously, I need to wear a sign around my neck to keep from having to constantly deal with morons like you. I am not a bloody Kitsune. I am a Kitiara, a rare sight I know. And you are?"

"That 'moron' is Silas Hargrove, one of three Dark Elves at Arcane Academy," said Zenith, having overheard the conversation as he neared the table. "He thinks he's special just because his papa is the clan's Chieftain."

"Nobody asked you, you damn dragon," snarled Silas. "This is none of your business."

Zenith just raised an eyebrow at the elf and pulled out the chair next to Harry's, sitting down with a casual grin. "Of course, it is, Silas. Harry's my friend, and friends protect each other. Oh, but I imagine you wouldn't know anything about that, though. Your own cousin can't even stand to be around you."

Silas growled at the Dracken. "You better watch your back, dragon. You just might find a knife stuck in it one of these days." With that threat delivered, the elf stalked away from their table.

Zenith rolled his eyes at Silas' dramatic exit and grinned at Harry. "Well, I see you survived your first night with Tristan."

"You were right. He's a total arse," sighed Harry, giving his sausage to the two kits.

"What did he do? Did he hurt you in any way?" asked Zenith in concern.

"He tried to hurt Shadow. I was so angry I set his feet on fire," Harry confessed softly, gently stroking Shadow's fur. Eclipse yipped softly, wanting attention, as well, and Harry smiled and stroked his fur, too.

"You set his... feet... on fire," Zenith repeated slowly. At Harry's sheepish nod, the Dracken burst out laughing. "Man, I would have paid to see that. That bastard totally had it coming, and I can't wait to see him hobbling about today.

Harry blushed slightly. "Uh, I kinda healed him last night," he mumbled guiltily.

"You healed him?" asked Zenith incredulously. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"I felt guilty, okay," said Harry defensively. "Minor hexes is one thing, but I burned his feet badly. I don't like hurting people like that. I couldn't even cast the Cruciatus curse properly on the woman who killed my godfather."

Zenith stared at Harry for a long moment before ruffling the Kitiara's hair fondly. "You are just too cute, Harry. I don't think anyone besides the school nurse would have helped him like that, and she would have only done it because that's her job."

"What's up with Hargrove," asked Zane as he and Grey sat down at the table.

"Yeah, he looked like someone just pissed in his porridge," Grey added.

"He decided Harry would be an easy target and was displeased when that proved incorrect," said Zenith easily.

"That little prat better watch himself," growled Grey. "I'll tear him apart if he even tries to hurt my kit."

Harry glared at the were-tiger. "Your kit?"

Grey gulped at the dangerous tone. "My friend?" he quickly amended, sighing in relief when Harry stopped glaring at him.

Zenith smirked at Grey. "I'd watch it, Grey. The last time someone angered Harry, he set their feet on fire."

"Zenith!" Harry rebuked the dragon demon. "It was an accident. Besides, he was trying to hurt my precious Shadow."

Zane burst out laughing when he realised who they were talking about. "Tristan's finally met his match. I wish I could have seen it."

"Yeah, it's just too bad Harry healed him up afterwards," sighed Zenith disappointedly.

"You healed him?" cried Grey in shock. "Why?"

"It's in his nature, Grey. Didn't you listen to a word I said? Kitiara are extremely powerful, and a single one could decimate a major city if they wanted. To balance the power out, they have a more passive nature, preferring to use their powers to heal rather than destroy," Zane explained.

"Anyway, it's almost time for class. Come on, Grey. You can show me where the Potions classroom is," said Harry, grabbing his bag and standing.

"Right," said Grey eagerly. "Let's go."

***

Fred and George Weasley sat at the Gryffindor table with their heads bent together, whispering conspiratorially. They had lots of plans for their devious Headmaster. And the first prank should commence any moment. After all, they had the perfect help.

Tittering laughter sounded throughout the Great Hall, and the twins looked up eagerly. One glimpse at the Headmaster sent them into great gales of laughter. The Headmaster was completely bald with thick, bushy, orange eyebrows, a large potato shaped nose, and bright purple lips pursed in an ostentatious kiss.

Before long, everyone in the Great Hall was laughing and pointing at Dumbledore. With a displeased scowl, the Headmaster stood and left the room.

"Stage one of Operation -" whispered Fred.

"Vengeance complete," finished George.

"Stage two begins tomorrow," they swore together.

The twins calmly left the Great Hall, already planning their next prank. Getting back at the old coot was worth coming back to Hogwarts this year, despite their initial reluctance. Besides, thanks to Harry, they already had the money they needed to start their shop. It could wait a while longer. This was just too much fun to pass up.

***

Harry walked into the Potions classroom with a sense of trepidation. He could only hope this professor was nothing like Professor Snape. He didn't think he could stand another greasy bat hovering over his shoulder and criticising his every move.

When Harry saw the professor, Snape was the last person he thought of. The professor was a petite woman with long blonde hair and bright teal eyes. She also smiled happily at them when they walked into the classroom.

"Hello, Professor Milligan. Did you miss me?" asked Grey cheekily.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Deveaux," said the professor sweetly. She looked at Harry curiously. "I don't believe I've met you, though, young man."

Harry smiled nervously. "No, this is my first year here. I'm Harry Potter."

Professor Milligan raised an eyebrow at the name and looked at the teen more closely. At first glance, she thought he was Kitsune, but the scent was a little off. Instead of the earthy, almost flowery, smell of a Kitsune, Harry smelled like a confusing mixture of desert and ocean.

"Ah, a Kitiara. I've not taught one of you in years."

"How did you know?" asked Harry curiously. "Everyone else I've met just assumes I'm a Kitsune. It gets rather annoying actually."

Professor Milligan smiled slightly. "Your scent."

Grey ostentatiously sniffed Harry and hummed thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, he does smell different from the Kitsune's I've met. It's nice, though. It's kinda like an oasis or something."

"That would be the combination of his elemental powers," the professor said serenely. "Your demon cousins have a more earthy smell because of their control over plant life."

As Professor Milligan walked back to her desk, Grey turned to Harry. "Professor Milligan's a were-hyena."

Harry shook his head and smiled sheepishly. "Before I came here, I didn't know there were different types of lycanthropes. Hogwarts only teaches about werewolves. I guess, it's not that surprising, though. Magical Britain's been completely corrupted with prejudice these days, and the education system only suffers for it."

Grey looked at Harry in surprise. With as naive as the Kitiara was, Grey hadn't expected Harry to be so perceptive. "I hate to say it, but the Hogwarts curriculum is a joke. And Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are only marginally better. The five best schools in the world are Arcane Academy here in Morocco, Hitomi School of Magic in Japan, Apokryfos in Greece, Stregoneria Accademia in Italy, and Merlin's School of Sorcery in the States."

A sharp clap ended the conversation, and they looked to the front. Professor Milligan, wrapped her knuckles on the blackboard, and writing began to appear. "Welcome to a new year, everyone. This is level six potions, and I expect everyone in here to be on their best behaviour." She glared pointedly to a grinning brunet in the back as she said that. "The person sitting next to you will be your permanent partner, so deal with it."

"Ha, Gillian's stuck with Mathias this year. He was my partner last year, and that was a bloody nightmare," snickered Grey. When Harry just looked at him blankly, he pointed to a girl who looked strikingly like Silas Hargrove. "You may have noticed the resemblance already, but that is Gillian Hargrove. Unlike her cousin, Silas, she's actually alright. Mathias, the boy beside her, is a Sylph. He and Gillian absolutely hate each other. They must have been the last two to arrive."

"Mr. Deveux, do you have something to share with the rest of the class, or may I continue?" asked Professor Milligan archly.

Grey straightened in his seat and grinned at the professor. "Sorry, Professor. You may continue now."

"As I was saying, we will be starting the Veritaserum Potion today. Instructions are on the board, so get started."

"Aww, man. This potion takes a month to brew," whinged Grey. "I hate having to come down here after hours on potions like this."

Harry just shook his head at the tiger's pitiful whingeing. Carefully reading the instructions on the board, he gathered up the required ingredients and set them out in adding order. He shoved the dragon liver toward Grey. "This needs to be slivered."

Grey grinned and saluted Harry before picking up his knife and doing as he was told. Harry added the Jobberknoll feathers and stirred the potion slowly, nodding in satisfaction when it turned molten silver. Setting his timer for eight minutes, Harry grabbed a ginger root and diced the plant evenly.

"I'm done. Do I add it now?" asked Grey, already moving the tray toward the cauldron.

Harry quickly grabbed the tray from him and set it back on the desk. He shoved a dish of aconite toward his partner. "Why don't you press this into a paste instead?"

Grey took the dish and grinned at Harry. "Take charge Harry. I like it."

Harry rolled his eyes and finished dicing the ginger root. When the timer went off, he added the dragon liver one sliver at a time, stirring twice after each addition. The potion turned a light lavender, and Harry sighed in relief before setting the timer for five minutes.

Setting the diced ginger aside, Harry carefully measured out two grams of salamander blood. When the timer went off again, he slowly added the diced ginger and stirred three times in a figure eight motion. The potion darkened to a navy blue.

"You can add the aconite now, Grey," said Harry.

Grey nodded and dumped the paste into the cauldron. Harry stirred the potion twenty times counter-clockwise and watched the potion turn a muddy brown. Then he added the salamander blood and stirred twenty more times, this time in a clockwise pattern. After the last stir, the potion turned a pale gold. Harry quickly lowered the heat and set the timer for sixteen hours. For the next twenty-eight days, the potion would need to be stirred twice every sixteen hours as it simmered.

Professor Mulligan walked over to them and looked down at the cauldron. "Very good. It's just the right colour." She saw the set timer and pulled out her wand, creating a shield around the cauldron. "The shield is set so that no one else can tamper with your potion, and it is tuned to your magical signatures. Since you're done for the moment, you may go. I will see you next Monday."

Harry and Grey quickly gathered their bags and left the classroom. Harry suddenly grinned and said, "That was the best Potions class I've ever had. Professor Mulligan is a much better teacher than Snape."

"What's that Snape fellow like?" asked Grey curiously. "The way you talk about him makes him sound like the Devil incarnate."

"That's an apt description of Snape," said Harry with a small smile. "Personally, I can't stand the man, and the feeling is more than mutual. However, I also can't deny that he's one of the good guys. He constantly puts his life on the line, and he's protected me several times over the years. Despite those good points, though, he hated my father with a passion, and that hate has bled over onto me. That alone makes Potions class with him practically unbearable, especially since he favours the Slytherins so much."

Grey nodded in sympathy. "That must have been rough. I'm glad you switched to this school, though."

Harry smiled at that. "Yeah, me too." He really liked the school so far, and he was so glad that Remus had saved him from the Dursley's, giving him this opportunity. "Hey, does this school have an owlery? I really need to send my guardian a letter, but I don't have an owl here."

"Well, we don't have an owlery per se. We don't use owls for delivery. We use falcons instead. I'll take you to the castle mews, and you can use one of them to deliver your letter."

"Great," said Harry eagerly. "I've never seen a falcon up close."

***

Remus was in the living room reading when the floo activated him. He tossed his book aside and jumped to his feet with his wand in hand. When a familiar redhead stepped from the flames, though, he sighed in relief and lowered his wand.

"Bill, what are you doing here? I thought you were on a mission for Dumbledore."

"I wanted to stop to see how things were," said Bill, spelling the soot off of him. "Have you heard from Harry?"

Remus shook his head. "Not yet. It's too bad we had to leave Hedwig in England, but it was too dangerous to bring her with us. She's too noticeable. I hope Ron's taking good care of her, though. Harry will be upset if anything happens to that owl."

"Don't worry," said Bill, smiling at the werewolf. "I heard Ron talking to Hedwig the day after you left with Harry. He explained what had happened and told her that as much as she wanted to go to her master, she needed to stay with him because it was too dangerous for her to return to Harry. I swear that damn bird understood every word Ron said to her, too, because she didn't try to leave after that."

Remus chuckled at that. "I always knew Hedwig was one smart owl." He sighed softly. "How have things been in England?"

"Dumbledore expected Harry back at Hogwarts, and he's furious that his precious pawn has somehow escaped his grasp," said Bill with a smirk. "And the twins have made it their mission to make him as miserable as possible. I can't wait to see what they come up with."

"How's Molly?" asked Remus.

Bill sighed softly. "She's furious with Dumbledore, and she feels betrayed. She's also upset about Harry. She feels awful because she never realised the extent of his treatment at the Dursley's hands. She blindly trusted Dumbledore when he told her Harry was fine, and she feels guilty about it."

"Yeah, I know how she feels," said Remus wearily. "If Petunia hadn't finally grown a backbone and notified me, Harry would be dead now."

Bill suddenly smirked at the werewolf. "Mum decided to do something about it, though. She is waging silent warfare against the Headmaster."

"What do you mean?" asked Remus curiously.

"For some strange reason, Dumbledore has been getting sick at every Order meeting. At first, he thought it was the food, but even when he doesn't eat anything he still gets sick. I haven't figured out just how she's doing it yet, but I know it's her. The twins inherited their sneakiness from her, after all," said Bill smugly.

Remus burst out laughing. Oh, to be a fly on that wall. "I can't wait to find out what the twins do to him. They're definitely the next generation of Marauders."

Bill smiled slyly at Remus. "They promised to put the memories in a pensieve over the Christmas holidays so the whole family can see it. I'll be sure to bring it with me when I visit."

"Perfect," said Remus with an evil grin.

A soft screech sounded out the window, and Remus turned to see a small black falcon with a letter tied to its leg. He let the falcon in and carefully took the letter, giving the beautiful bird some water and summoning some leftover bacon to give to it. He unrolled the letter and grinned in delight.

"It's from Harry."

"Well, what does it say? Does he like his new school? Has he made any friends? Hurry up and read it, Remus," asked Bill impatiently.

_Dear Moony,_

_I really miss you, and I hope you're not too lonely at the house. With that said, Arcane Academy is absolutely beautiful, even more so than Hogwarts. I met an Incubus for the first time, and his name is Zane. He's becoming a good friend. His best friend is a were-tiger named Dougrey, Grey for short, and he's an annoying prat that keeps calling me his little kit. I also met a Dracken, a dragon demon, named Zenith. He's huge! He's like seven feet tall, but he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. He's starting an apprenticeship in Blood Magic this year._

_My roommate is a jerk! His name is Tristan, and he's a weather faerie. He tried to hurt my Shadow! I was so mad that I caught his feet on fire, and then I felt so bad that I healed him. With fire being my easiest elemental power, I really need to learn to keep control of my temper before I hurt someone else. Hopefully, we'll learn how to control the elements better in class._

_I met another jerk this morning_. _His name is Silas Hargrove, and he's a Dark Elf. He reminds me an awful lot of Draco Malfoy. _

_I had my first Potions class this morning, and our professor is a were-hyena. Why didn't you tell me there were so many different types of lycanthropes? But anyway, she's a much better teacher than Professor Snape. We're working on the Veritaserum potion, and I was partnered with Grey. _

_My next class isn't until two in the afternoon, which is great. Our schedules are perfect. We only have each class once a week, but they last for two hours, and Fridays are for independent study and tutoring. I really like this school, but I can't wait until Christmas holidays so I can see you again._

_Love, Harry_

Remus smiled as he read the letter. That was just like Harry. He hated to see people hurt, but that was what made Harry so special. He really did miss his little kit, and he couldn't wait until Christmas holidays, either.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Molly tapped her fingers impatiently on the table as she waited for her eldest son to return. He'd left early that morning to go to Egypt to see how Remus and Harry were fairing. Twenty minutes later, she heard the floo activate and hurried into the living room. She smiled brightly at Bill when he stepped gracefully out of the fireplace. "Did you see them? Were they both alright?"

"They're fine, Mum," said Bill soothingly, spelling the soot off his clothing with a quick swish of his wand. He then made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing the tea kettle to prepare him a cup of tea. The dry, arid air of Egypt always made him thirsty the first few hours he was there.

Molly huffed impatiently and pushed him out of the way, heating the water with a spell. Bill smirked at her and sat at the table while his mother set his cup of tea and a plate of biscuits in front of him. She sat down and scowled at Bill. "Start talking. I want to know everything."

Bill quickly cast the Mufflato charm just in case their privacy was compromised in any way before saying anything else. After all, he didn't want all of his hard work to go to waste because of a moment of carelessness. His mother looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he muttered, "Considering what he's already done, do your really want to chance him listening in on this conversation somehow? I wouldn't put anything past that interfering old coot."

Molly sighed. "You're right. I've already gotten a letter from the twins, and they said that Dumbeldore was absolutely livid when Harry didn't show up at Hogwarts on the first day of school. Who knows what he would do if he actually found the poor boy? Are you sure Harry's completely healed, though? What will he do about his education?"

Bill grinned smugly. "Harry's perfectly fine, Mum. Besides, you don't need to worry about his education. Harry's phenomenal luck has struck again. Would you believe that he was invited to attend the prestigious Arcane Academy?"

Molly frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember where she'd heard that name before. She gasped in surprise when she finally remembered. "I've heard of that school. It's ranked the number one school in the entire Wizarding World. But isn't it the school that caters to only magical creatures? Then how in Merlin's name did Harry get an invite?"

"Because, apparently, our little Harry is just full of surprises. It seems that he has a Kitiara somewhere in his family tree, and Harry inherited those genes," said Bill smugly. "He sent a letter to Remus today, and it seems as though he really likes the school so far."

"I'm glad," said Molly happily. "That poor boy deserves to be happy."

"That doesn't mean you have to stop tormenting Dumbledore, though. He deserves it for planning to leave Harry in that hellish prison," said Bill quickly.

Molly smiled coyly at her son. "Whatever do you mean, Bill? I've not done anything to the Headmaster."

"So what's been making him sick?" asked Bill curiously. "At first I thought you were adding something to his food, but he hasn't eaten anything the last few times he was sick, so obviously that can't be it. I can't figure out what else it could be, though."

Molly's smile turned vindictive. "Arthur and I decided that Albus liked messing with people's heads a bit too much, so we used a spell that was triggered by certain phrases. In Albus' case, the spell was activated every time he thought or spoke about sending Harry back to the Dursley's, thus causing him to feel an extreme bout of nausea. Besides, it's virtually undetectable unless one specifically knows what to look for it."

"How in Merlin's name did you actually manage to hit him with that spell? Dumbledore's as bad as Mad-Eye with his Constant Vigilance," asked Bill. "For that matter, where did you find the spell? I've never heard anything like it before."

"Your father cast the spell. I merely distracted the good Headmaster while he did so," said Molly smugly. "And your father found it years ago in his great-grandfather's spell journal. He was a spell crafter back in the day."

Bill looked at his mother in awe. "Mum, you are absolutely brilliant."

Molly giggled at that. If Bill considered that impressive, he would be even more so when he discovered the rest of her plot. That old coot would pay for erasing her memories so blithely. It wouldn't happen again, though. After that incident, Bill had given the whole family, including Hermione, a goblin charmed pendant to prevent any mind magic from working on them.

"Enough about that, dear," said Molly, gesturing for her son to end the Mufflato spell. Once the spell was ended, she smiled cheerfully and asked, "Are you staying for supper, Bill?"

"I wouldn't miss it," said Bill. "I have to go back to Egypt in the morning, and it will be a while before I can enjoy your wonderful food again. The goblins have me working on a dig that's supposed to last about six months. I trust you'll inform Dumbledore that I'll be unavailable during that time?" He actually couldn't wait to get back to Egypt. He missed the dry, arid heat... and the company of a certain mild-mannered werewolf.

"Of course, dear," said Molly. That was actually one conversation she was looking forward to having. The old coot had gotten far too accustomed to ordering the Weasley family around like pawns on a chess board. It was about time for a little rebellion.

***

Harry yawned and headed down to the potions classroom. He wasn't the only one with the same thought, though. Gillian Hargrove was already in the room, waiting for the timer to go off on her potion. She stared at Harry curiously as the other teen walked into the room, smirking when she realised that this was the boy her cousin was so bent out of shape over.

"So what did you do piss off Silas so much? He's been ranting about you all day?" she asked curiously. She actually thought it was quite hilarious. Anyone who could rile Silas up like that was worth getting to know. Her arrogant cousin needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

Harry looked up at the girl and shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. I merely corrected his mistaken assumption that I was a Kitsune rather than a Kitiara. Zenith provoked him much more than I did."

"Zenith?" That name was familiar, but she couldn't recall a face to go with it.

"He's a Dracken," said Harry. "He's apprenticing in Blood Magic this year."

Gillian filed that information away for later. "I've never met a Kitiara before. How exactly are you different from Kitsunes? You look a lot alike as far as I can tell."

"Well, I'm not a demon for one. Kitiara are half-human half-fox," said Harry wryly. "Plus, I can use wizarding magic, elemental magic, and healing magic."

Gillian's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Well no wonder Kitiara's were practically extinct. That kind of power was a fearsome thing, and humans had a habit of destroying the things they fear. Silas had best watch himself where this boy was concerned. She had no doubt at all that the Kitiara could destroy her cousin if provoked enough.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Gillian Lydana Hargrove, and as I'm sure you've noticed, I am a Dark Elf," said Gillian, bowing shortly to Harry.

Harry sighed softly and reluctantly responded in kind. "I'm Harry James Potter, Kitiara through inheritance. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

Gillian gaped in surprise. She couldn't believe she was looking at the legendary Harry Potter himself. Everyone in the magical community had heard of this boy. "Are you really a child of prophecy?"

Harry was saved from saying anything else when his timer went off. He quickly grabbed a stirring rod and stirred the potion before resetting the timer. Grey would stir the potion again in the morning. He hesitated a moment before turning back to face Gillian.

"That prophecy has done nothing but make my life miserable. I'm just a sixteen year old boy, and the entire wizarding world expects me to defeat a wizard they're too frightened of to even say his name. I'm not a saviour or the chosen one. I'm just Harry," said Harry softly.

"That's just wishful dreaming, Harry," said Gillian bluntly. "The fact of the matter is that this Dark Lord believes in that prophecy, and he won't rest until one of you is dead. Besides, you're not the type of person to abandon your friends and family to his tender mercies. That's why you're here, isn't it? Because this school can help you reach your full potential."

Harry scowled at the Dark Elf. She was right, of course. No matter how much he hated the thought, he knew that he would eventually have to face Voldemort once more. Voldemort himself would allow for nothing else.

Gillian just smiled sweetly at the Kitiara. She walked over to Harry and draped her arm over his shoulder, making Harry scowl once again at the fact that the elf was actually taller than he was. Gillian giggled at the disgruntled fox and ruffled his hair. The teen was absolutely adorable with his furry little ears bristled in indignation.

"I can already tell that you and I are going to be the best of friends," said Gillian happily. "You, my cute and furry friend, shall be my new study partner for Potions." The fact that the friendship would royally piss off her cousin was just a bonus.

"You're up to something, aren't you?" asked Harry, keeping a wary eye on the elf as he ducked out from under her arm and edged carefully toward the door. "You're entirely too cheerful about the prospect of being my friend. There's got to be something else in it for you."

The door suddenly slammed open, hitting Harry in the hip, and Grey rushed into the room. "I can't believe I forgot about the potion! Harry's going to kill me!"

"You're damn right I'm going to hurt you. You just hit me with the bloody door," growled Harry irritably, rubbing his bruised hip. "Why are you even here? You're supposed to stir the potion later this afternoon, dummy."

Grey yelped in surprise and whirled around to face Harry. "Harry! What are you doing down here?"

"Stirring the bloody potion," said Harry in exasperation. "Have you already forgotten? We just discussed the matter this morning. I was supposed to stir the potion tonight, and we would alternate from there. Remember now?"

Grey just looked at he other boy blankly. "Nope, I'm drawing a blank."

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the developing headache. He was way too tired for this. "Just forget it, Grey. I'll stir the damn potion myself."

"You're an idiot, Deveux," said Gillian bluntly. She gave Harry a sympathetic look. "He's an absolute disaster in Potions, Harry. The only reason he passed last year is because Mathias did all the work."

Harry scowled at the abashed were-tiger. "You couldn't have told me this beforehand? My potions skills are average at best. We'll be lucky to pass this year."

Grey pouted at the Kitiara. "You don't want to be my partner anymore? I thought we were friends."

"You're an idiot, Grey," said Harry. However, as Grey just kept looking at him with a pout on his face, Harry finally sighed. "And I'm an idiot, as well, for letting you manipulate me like this. Stop with the pout already."

Grey grinned and pounced on Harry, rubbing his cheek affectionately against Harry's furry ears. "I knew you'd eventually warm up to me."

Harry pushed the excitable tiger away with a scowl. "Don't push your luck, Grey. I'm just too nice for my own good."

"You know you love me," said Grey cheerfully. "You'd be lonely without me around."

"Now you're just plain delusional," said Harry.

Gillian snickered at the pair. Grey was always a constant source of amusement. He was such an overly dramatic little kitty. "I can already tell this is going to be an interesting year."

***

Harry was getting ready for bed when Tristan walked into the room. The faerie just sneered at Harry and flopped down on his bed. "I see you survived another day. And already making an enemy out of the Hargrove heir. Not very smart of you, now is it?"

Harry just shrugged. "It's not my fault that Silas is a total arse. Let me guess, though. The two of you are the best of friends."

Tristan sniffed haughtily. "Hardly. Hargrove is an elf, and a Dark Elf at that. Lowly elves aren't worthy enough to associate with a Sidhe such as myself."

"If you say so," said Harry, rolling his eyes at the other teen's arrogant proclamation.

Tristan scowled at Harry. "You don't know anything, do you? A long time ago, elves were considered part of the Sidhe nation. However, four hundred years ago, a large sect of Dark Elves revolted and killed the Sidhe royals, leaving only two survivors, in a bid to take control. Needless to say, the revolters were completely destroyed, and the remaining elves were banned from our lands."

"That seems rather harsh, though. Why were all the elves banished if the Dark Elves are the ones who revolted?" asked Harry curiously.

"Just because the Dark Elves did the actual revolting didn't mean the others weren't involved," sneered Tristan. "The Light Elves knew what their darker counterparts were planning and didn't give a word of warning. As a result, my grandmother's entire family was killed. Only she and her twin brother survived the slaughter."

"I see," murmured Harry. He could understand how Tristan felt, as well. Harry had been caught in a similar situation. Dark Wizards had murdered his family. However, the Light side had ruined his life, as well. They just masked their actions under the guise of the greater good.

"In other words, the chance of me becoming Silas Hargrove's friend is absolutely zero," said Tristan coldly, the temperature in the room dropping drastically to match his frosty tone. "My family may not be the rulers of the Sidhe nation any longer, but we are still far superior to those damnable elves."

The room seemed to grow colder with every word Tristan spoke, and Harry soon found himself shivering convulsively. He clenched his fists, trying to form a fireball or even a flicker of a flame, but nothing worked. His lips were starting to turn blue, and his lungs began to hurt when Eclipse suddenly growled at toward Tristan, snapping the faerie out of his cold fury.

Without Tristan's anger to fuel the cold, the temperature in the room almost immediately returned to normal. Harry gasped in relief as the freezing air stopped stinging his lungs with every breath. Tristan could only stare at Harry in shock. There was a blue tinge to the Kitiara's skin, and the other teen was shivering violently.

Tristan quickly pulled Harry to his feet and pulled the covers down on the bed. He hurriedly stripped Harry down to his boxers and pushed the teen on to the bed. Stripping off his own clothes, he climbed in beside Harry, wrapping the blankets snugly around them.

"W-Why are you h-helping me?" asked Harry between chattering teeth. "I-I thought y-you were t-trying to get r-rid of me."

"Shut up," said Tristan curtly. "I may not want a roommate, but I'm not about to kill you just to get the room to myself. There are other ways to drive you out, you know."

"Y-You're still an a-arse, but you're n-not as bad as I f-first thought," said Harry with a slight smile.

"Yeah, well, you're a sap. What's your point?" snapped Tristan.

Harry just burrowed closer to the faerie and drifted off to sleep.

***

Harry hurried to his Blood Rites class, silently cursing Tristan for causing this problem. If that bastard hadn't tried to freeze him to death, he wouldn't have fallen asleep without setting the alarm. And of course, Tristan hadn't bothered to set one either. It was only pure luck that Harry had awakened when he did, and that was a mere thirty minutes before his first class.

A smug smile crossed Harry's face. Tristan's morning hadn't been that pleasant either. When Harry realised just how late it was, he'd accidentally pushed Tristan off the bed as he struggled out of the covers. Ignoring the cursing faerie, Harry frantically rushed around the room as he got ready for the day. By the time he was done, it was five minutes until class started.

Rushing into the classroom with one minute to spare, Harry sighed in relief. The was only one chair free, and it was beside a girl with pale green skin and dark blue hair. She reminded Harry of a pretty flower. That image was completely destroyed, however, when she took one look at him and gave him an ugly sneer.

Harry jumped in surprise when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked behind him to see a boy with dark golden skin, golden blond hair, and gold eyes. The boy grinned and held out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Apollo Michaels."

Harry slowly shook the other boy's hand, staring at Apollo curiously. "Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you."

"You're a Kitiara, aren't you?" asked Apollo excitedly. He grinned wider when Harry nodded in surprise. "I'm a Heliopath. It's basically just another name for a true fire elemental."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Well, you can control fire, too. I, however, can literally become fire, from the smallest spark to the largest inferno," Apollo explained.

"Will you two shut up? Class is starting," snapped the girl beside Harry.

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Don't mind, Kara. Her petals must be wilting today. She's a flower faerie."

"It's Flora Fae, dimwit," snarled Kara between clenched teeth. "Now shut up, Apollo."

"Miss McDaniel, is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class?" the professor asked irritably.

Kara sank down in her seat with an embarrassed blush. "No, Professor Everest."

Professor Everest stared at her for a moment longer before turning back to the rest of the class. "In this class, you will learn to cast spells and wards, using blood as the main component. Has anyone here ever used blood magic?" No one raised their hands. "No one? That's rather disappointing."

Harry sighed and raised his hand. "I've never used blood magic, but the house where I lived had blood wards surrounding it." No way in hell was he going to mention the fact that his blood had been used in Voldemort's resurrection.

Professor Everest stared at Harry speculatively. "Interesting. Anyone else?" The class was completely silent, and the professor sighed in disappointment. "Moving on then."

Harry listened attentively as the professor lectured, writing down notes at a furious pace. It was amazing what could be done using blood magic, but he knew first hand just how scary it could be, as well. This class would be no walk in the park, though. A lot of the more complicated spells and wards used components of Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and he was a complete novice at those classes.

When the class ended, Harry packed his books with an absent frown. Hopefully, Zenith would be at lunch so he could ask the Dracken for tutoring. As he walked to the door, though, he was waylaid by the golden Apollo.

"Hey, Harry, you wanna eat lunch with me?"

"Uh, well, I usually eat with Grey, Zane, and Zenith. You're welcome to join us, though," said Harry hesitantly.

"You're pals with Zenith? Amazing! You work wonders, dude. I haven't heard that dragon speak more than two words since I've been here," said Apollo, looking at Harry in amazement.

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. "I didn't do anything."

Apollo grinned and draped his arm over Harry's shoulders, leading him toward the dining hall. "Aren't you just he cutest thing. And so modest, too. No wonder Zenith warmed up to you."

When they reached the dining hall, Harry saw Zenith and Zane at one of the buffet tables. Zane saw the Kitiara and grinned, raising an eyebrow at the golden boy clinging to Harry. Apollo just smiled brightly and walked up to him.

"You must be Grey," he started and then saw Harry shake his head frantically. "Uh, I meant Zane. You must be Harry's friend Zane. It's nice to meet you."

Zane just stared at Apollo for a long moment. "Uh huh, and you are?"

"Oh, I'm Apollo. I'm in Harry's Blood Rites class," said Apollo cheerfully.

"You had your first Blood Rites class? How did you like it?" Zenith asked Harry eagerly.

"It's really interesting," said Harry. "In fact, I wanted to ask you to tutor me for that class. I think I'm going to need it. According to Professor Everest, a lot of the spells and wards use Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and I know nothing about those classes yet."

"Sure, no problem," said Zenith.

"What class do you have after lunch, Harry?" asked Apollo curiously once they were seated at the table.

"Arithmancy with Grey," said Harry. He searched the dining hall for the were-tiger, but they hyper teen wasn't there. "Where is Grey anyway? He's usually here by now."

"Oh, he had Shamanic magic this morning," said Zane softly. "They're learning on how to call their animal form at will this year, and from what I've heard, it's exhausting. He'll probably sleep through lunch and just grab a snack later."

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll be in class with you," said Apollo cheerfully.

"T-Thanks," said Harry hesitantly. Although Apollo seemed like a really nice guy, Harry couldn't help but think the other boy would wear on his nerves the longer they spent together. He couldn't stand to be around perpetually perky people like the Heliopath for long periods of time. It just seemed false to him. No one could be that happy all the time.

Zane, however, wasn't so reticent. He openly showed his dislike for the golden boy. "Who cares? Harry already has a partner for the class. Grey will be there, after all."

Apollo suddenly lost his veneer of happiness and glared darkly at Zane. "This is none of your concern, Incubus. The kit is not your mate to control, so back off now."

Zane growled at Apollo, and the scales on his skin began to glow. Seeing that, Zenith quickly grabbed Harry around the waist and pushed them both away from the table. He was just in time, too, because a few seconds later, Apollo burst into flame, burning the table to cinders.

Zane cast an Aguamenti spell to douse Apollo's flames, but the flames broke off into dozens of smaller flames to avoid the water before reforming into one large flame. Apollo then sent a rush of flames toward Zane, who barely managed to conjure a shield to keep from being roasted alive. Zane suddenly hissed in pain as his trousers caught on fire, and Harry snapped.

"Both of you need to stop it now!"

Zane and Apollo were suddenly drenched as a deluge of water was dumped over their heads. The two teens gasped and spluttered at the sudden downpour while Zenith snickered in amusement. The Dracken's snickers quickly turned to outright laughter, and the two sodden teens turned to glare at him in accusation.

"Don't blame me. All I have to say is you got what you deserved. Harry got tired of the two of you fighting over him and decided you needed to cool down is all," said Zenith between bouts of laughter.

"Harry," Zane whinged pitifully, plucking at his sopping clothing and looking miserable. "Now I'm all wet."

Harry haughtily turned his nose up at the Incubus. "You should have thought of that before you decided to start a fight in the dining hall."

"I'm sorry," muttered Zane, hanging his head sheepishly.

"Well, I'm not," snapped Apollo spitefully. "As you said, the little demon started it."

"Who are you calling a demon, Sparky?" growled Zane.

"Enough, Zane," sighed Harry. He turned and glared at Apollo. "You're just as much to blame, Apollo. Zane wasn't the only involved in that fight, and you are the one who struck first. And for future reference, I am not anyone's to control. I suggest you take that to heart before you try to speak to me again." He angrily grabbed his bag and turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Zane. Try to behave until then. Okay?" Zane nodded sadly, and Harry's anger melted. He sighed and knelt in front of Zane, pressing his hand against the other teen's burned leg and healing the painful burn.

"Thank you, Harry," sighed Zane, sighing in relief. He tried to avoid the infirmary as much as possible. The medi-witch had no concept of gentleness.

"I won't be so nice next time, Zane. I don't like it when people fight over me like that. I'm a person, not a possession," warned Harry. Zane nodded again, and Harry stood to leave once more. As he passed Zenith, though, the dragon demon ruffled his hair.

"I'm free this afternoon if you want to start your tutoring, Harry," said Zenith casually.

Harry smiled gratefully at the Dracken. "That's great, Zenith. How about we meet in the library after supper?"

"I'll be there."

***

Dumbledore warily picked at his food. Just to be on the safe side, though, he called for Dobby to prepare him another plate of food. He had no desire to suffer from another prank like the previous one.

Dobby appeared beside Dumbledore and ungraciously set the plate down on the table. "Here's your food, Master Dumbles." He then popped away without another word.

Dumbledore frowned slightly at the house-elves attitude but finally dismissed it as just another one of Dobby's quirks. He took a bite of his food and immediately choked, spitting and sputtering to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth. He quickly took a drink of his pumpkin juice only to spew the liquid across the table.

"Dobby!"

The house-elf popped back into the room with a harried look on his face. "Sir?"

Dumbledore scowled at the house-elf. "What in Merlin's name did you do to my food? It tastes terrible."

"Dobby did nothing to the food. Fitz prepared Dumbles Sir's food," said Dobby innocently.

Dumbledore growled under his breath and stood. However, that action was greeted with rambunctious laughter from the gathered students. Dumbledore looked down at himself and flushed angrily when he realised he was wearing nothing more than a pair of faded long underwear.

"Who did this?" he demanded. Of course, no one answered him. "I'll find out who did this, and when I do, you can expect expulsion as your punishment."

"Albus!" gasped Minerva in shock. "Isn't that a little harsh for a mere prank?"

Dumbledore ignored her and glared at the students. Somehow, this was all Harry Potter's fault. If the brat had just done what he was told, none of this would have ever happened. When he found the boy, Harry would regret crossing him like this.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When Harry stormed into the Arithmancy classroom, he was surprised to see Grey sleeping at one of the back desks. Harry set his books down on the desk next to him and gently prodded the sleeping were-tiger. Grey blearily opened his eyes and gave Harry a blank stare.

"Grey, are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly. It was disconcerting to see the normally hyper teen so lethargic and worn down. He placed the back of his hand against the blond's forehead, but he wasn't feverish.

"I'm tired," sighed Grey wearily. He was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open. Now he knew why the didn't allow anyone younger than sixteen take that class. Someone with a less developed magical core probably wouldn't survive. "My magical core is nearly depleted."

Harry gently carded a hand through Grey's blond hair, wishing there was something he could do for him. He smiled slightly as Grey started purring softly with every stroke. It was actually kind of cute.

The comfortable silence was broken, however, when someone rudely slammed their books down on the desk beside Harry's. He jumped in surprise and turned to see who it was only to blink in shock when he saw Tristan glaring down at him. Harry raised a brow at the angry faerie.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You kicked me out of bed this morning," snapped Tristan. "And then those demons you call familiars bit me when I tried to get back in the bed."

"You didn't set an alarm last night, and I was certainly in no condition to do so," said Harry reasonably. "And are you really surprised, Tristan? You tried to kill Shadow just yesterday. It's no wonder they don't like you."

"You slept with him?" Grey suddenly screeched, staring at them in horror. He was suddenly wide awake as looked at Harry with big, betrayed brown eyes. "Harry, how could you?"

Tristan gave Grey an evil smirk. "Oh, the poor kitten is jealous. Then I guess you'll really turn green with envy when I say that you should see him when that gorgeous naked body is dripping wet. That is a lovely sight indeed."

"What?!" shouted Grey. He turned to glare at Harry. "Harry!"

"That's enough, Tristan. I think you've caused enough chaos for the moment," sighed Harry, rubbing his temples. "Grey, calm down. There's nothing going on between me and Tristan. He's just being an arse again."

"But we did sleep together last night, Harry. You can't have forgotten already," said Tristan mockingly. "The feel of our naked skin rubbing together as we..." He scowled at Harry as his voice was abruptly silenced with a spell.

"Is he telling the truth, Harry?" asked Grey softly.

Harry sighed in exasperation. "Grey, the damn faerie nearly froze me to death last night in a fit of anger. To keep me from suffering hypothermia, he slept in the bed with me. That is all that happened."

"And the wet naked skin?" asked Grey archly.

Harry blushed at the reminder. "I was in the shower when he attacked Shadow, and I forgot to grab a towel when I rushed in to save my kit."

"Damn, and I missed that," muttered Grey, aiming a dark glare at the faerie.

Harry ignored Grey and cancelled the spell silencing Tristan. "Quit provoking Grey, Tristan. I've had enough of people using me in their squabbles."

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Grey.

"I had to stop a fight between Zane and Apollo at lunch," said Harry wearily.

"Apollo Michaels?" asked Tristan. He scowled when Harry nodded. "Stay away from that pyro, Harry. He's a total whore. He'll try to seduce you, and when he finally gets you, he'll toss you aside for his latest conquest."

"Speaking from experience?" asked Grey pointedly.

Tristan sneered at the were-tiger. "Hardly. I wouldn't lower myself to sleep with that slut. There's no telling what disease that whore is carrying."

"I'm hurt, Tristan. Really."

Harry looked up to see Apollo staring at them with an amused smile on his face. However, there was a tinge of coldness to the smile that raised Harry's hackles. With that one look, he had no doubt of the truth of Tristan's words.

"Not hurt enough," said Tristan coldly. "You deserve to be utterly destroyed for what you did to my sister."

Grey gasped in surprise. "He's the reason Callandra left?" Callandra had been one of his best friends the first two years he was at Arcane Academy. She'd left in the middle of their third year, and he'd never learned the reason why.

"That bastard seduced my sister when she was only thirteen years old," said Tristan, sending said bastard a dark glare. .

"Ah, and how is the lovely Callandra?" asked Apollo cheerfully. "She was such an eager little thing. It was rather refreshing."

Tristan levelled a frosty glare at the Heliopath, causing the temperature in the room to get colder. "She's dead because of you."

"Oh?" asked Apollo casually. He didn't really care. Little Callandra was just a passing fancy to him.

"She died giving birth to your son," hissed Tristan angrily. At Apollo's startled look, the faerie smiled maliciously. "However, the child was as weak as his sire, and he passed away soon after his mother did."

Apollo just gave Tristan an impassive look. "Ah well. It's no great loss to me."

"You fucking bastard," snarled Tristan, lunging toward the Heliopath. However, before he could reach the other teen, a shimmering blue shield appeared in front of him, effectively stopping him short.

"That is quite enough, Mr. Hayward," said the professor calmly. "Save it for after class." The professor walked to the front of the classroom and sat down on the desk. "Good afternoon. For those of you new to the class, I am Professor Cassidy. I will warn you now that if you have no prior knowledge of this subject, you are in for a struggle, so I suggest finding a tutor."

Harry silently groaned. Hopefully Zenith could help with this, as well. Otherwise, he was going to be hopelessly lost. The entire lecture was completely over his head, and it was a relief when the class finally ended. He felt like his head was going to explode from the overload of information.

"Hey, Harry, if you need help with Arithmancy, I'll be glad to help out," said Grey softly as they walked out of the classroom. Arithmancy wasn't his best subject, but judging from the lost look Harry had sported the entire lecture, it was better than nothing.

Harry smiled gratefully at the other teen. "Thanks, Grey. I have a feeling I'm going to need it. I didn't understand a single word she said this lecture."

"Let's go to supper then. I'm starving!" said Grey, rubbing his rumbling belly.

Harry just snickered as they walked to the Dining Hall. He was glad to see the shifter was finally feeling a little better.

Zane joined them shortly after they sat down, and Harry looked at the Incubus. "Well, now I know why you disliked Apollo so much. He's a bigger arse than Tristan is."

"He's worse than that, Harry. He's a total whore. He'll sleep with anything and then toss them aside when he's done," said Zane solemnly. "Although I hadn't met him before today, I know several people who fell victim to his schemes."

"Yeah," sighed Harry softly. He glanced over to the table where Tristan was sitting and felt a pang of sympathy for the faerie. He'd lost too many loved ones not to sympathise with him.

"Don't let it get to you, Harry," said Grey abruptly. "I doubt Michaels will come after you now that you've seen what he's really like."

"I'm not worried about him," said Harry irritably. "I've dealt with worse than him."

Grey smiled at him. "That's right. You've faced off against Voldemort. Apollo's a kitten compared to that."

"Right," said Harry wryly. He finished the rest of his meal and grabbed his book bag. "Well, I have to run. I'm meeting Zenith in the library for a little tutoring for my Blood Rites class. You'll have to stir the potion this time, Grey. The timer's set to go off in ten minutes."

Grey cursed and grabbed his bag. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Harry just smiled sweetly. "Consider it payback for hitting me with the door this morning."

"I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the arse," Grey grumbled. At the pointed glare Harry aimed at him, he squeaked and ran out of the room.

"What was that all about?" asked Zane curiously.

"We're brewing Veritaserum in Potions, and it has to be stirred every sixteen hours. We agreed to take alternating turns, and I was supposed to go first. I stirred the potion and reset the timer and was just about to leave when Grey slams the door open, hitting me in the hip and knocking me against the wall, because he's in a panic, thinking he'd forgotten about the potion," said Harry.

Zane snickered in amusement. He could easily see that scenario. Grey was always so forgetful. "He's been like that for as long as I've known him. It's like everything goes in one ear and promptly out the other. It's a wonder he ever learns anything."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. He offered to tutor me in Arithmancy, but he's probably already forgotten that, as well. I guess I can always ask Zenith, though. Apprenticing in Blood Rites, he's sure to be good with that, too," said Harry dryly.

"It never hurts to have a backup plan," Zane agreed. He grabbed his bag and got to his feet. "Why don't I walk you to the library? I've got a research paper in Charms that I need to start."

"Sure," said Harry.

HPHP

Remus looked up in surprise when the front door of the cottage opened, and Bill walked in. "What are you doing back so soon? I thought you were staying at the Burrow for a few days."

Bill grinned smugly. "I do have a job outside of the Order, Remus. I've been assigned on a six month dig, so I hope you don't mind a roommate for the duration of the dig."

"O-Of course not," stammered Remus. "This is your home, after all."

"Great!" said Bill, flopping down onto the sofa beside the werewolf. "I'm exhausted. That old coot decided to barge in on our family supper."

"What did he want this time?" asked Remus with a scowl.

"Same thing he always wants," said Bill dryly. "He's completely obsessed with finding Harry."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," said Remus. He would make damn sure his kit stayed away from that manipulative Headmaster until Harry was actually prepared to deal with him.

"We will," said Bill confidently. "You and Harry are welcome to stay here as long as you need to." He flashed the werewolf a wicked grin and pulled a photo from his pocket. "Here. This should make you happy. Ron sent it to me today."

Remus blinked in surprise and reached for the photo. He looked at the picture and laughed uproariously. That couldn't have happened to a more deserving person. He would have to remember to thank Ron for sending this. It certainly had brightened his day considerably.

An evil smirk crossed Remus' face. He was sure Harry would enjoy the sight just as much as he did. With that in mind, Remus grabbed a quill and parchment and started writing.

HPHP

Harry trudged into his dorm room with a weary sigh. Zenith was brutal when it came to pounding information into a person's brain, and Harry had the massive headache to prove it. He ignored Tristan, who was sitting at his desk, and fell onto his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Eclipse yipped softly and jumped on the bed, nudging Harry's cheek.

Harry groaned softly and pulled himself out of bed. He knew he was forgetting something. "Sorry, Eclipse. I didn't forget, though," he assured the little kit. Opening his bag, he pulled out two sealed bowls and set them on the floor, taking off the lids with a slight smile. "You two are in luck. We had roast and potatoes tonight, and I know it's your favourite."

Shadow and Eclipse yipped and happily dug into their food. Harry immediately crawled back into bed, toeing his shoes off onto the floor as he lay down. He heard Tristan snort and looked over at the faerie curiously only to see the redhead looking at him in exasperation.

"You are absolutely pathetic," said Tristan bluntly. "It's only the second day of school, and you're already in sad shape. And it's only going to get worse, you know."

"Shut up," said Harry half-heartedly. "Zenith is a cruel taskmaster. It's exhausting to deal with him when he's in teacher mode."

"What kind of excuse is that? It's your fault for needing his help in the first place," said Tristan. "You're the one who fell behind."

"Actually, that's not technically true," said Harry with a slight pout. "I didn't fall behind. I've never taken Arithmancy or Blood Rites at all, so I had to start from the beginning."

"What the hell kind of school did you go to that didn't offer Arithmancy and Blood Rites?" asked Tristan incredulously. All of the best schools offered those two classes.

"My school taught Arithmancy, but it was an elective course, and I didn't take it. And since blood magic is illegal in Britain, Hogwarts didn't even offer Blood Rites," said Harry with a shrug.

"Britain's magical community is completely barmy," said Tristan, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would they make blood magic illegal? Blood magic is one of the most useful branches of magic out there."

"You just answered your own question. Britain's magical community is currently being run by a Minister of Magic that is absolutely useless," said Harry bitterly. He couldn't stand that cowardly excuse for a wizard. It was because of people like Fudge that Voldemort had risen to the heights he had.

Tristan stared at Harry thoughtfully. "You sound like you speak from experience. What did he do to you?"

"When I was fourteen, my school hosted the Tri-Wizard Tournament. When the Champions were chosen, my name somehow was drawn from the cup, and I was forced to participate in the tournament despite my age. It turned out that a Death Eater was posing as one of my professors, and he's the one who put my name in the cup," said Harry.

Harry shook his head ruefully. "I really should have known something was wrong because he was a little too helpful. He's the one who gave me the idea to use my broom in the first task, and he let Dobby overhear his suggestion that I use Gillyweed in the second task.. He even went so far as to use the Imperious curse on one of the other contestants to eliminate the rest of the competition to make sure I won."

"Why would he do that, though?" asked Tristan curiously. "If he was already in the school, wouldn't it have been easier for him to just kill you and be done with it? Why go to such lengths to help you win the tournament?"

Harry smiled wryly at the blunt question. "Oh, but then Voldemort wouldn't have the pleasure of killing me." He sighed and traced the scar on his arm. "As for why I needed to win, well, the trophy turned out to be a portkey. Barty Crouch Jr. Had spelled it to take me to a graveyard in Little Hangleton. You see, they were planning to use a ritual to give Voldemort a body, and they needed my blood to do so."

"Why your blood in particular?" asked Tristan inquisitively.

"My mother sacrificed her life for me, and that sacrifice gave me a little added protection against Voldemort. It saved my life when I was eleven because Voldemort, who was possessing one of my professors at the time, couldn't even touch me without being burned," said Harry sadly.

"So he needed your blood to get around such powerful protections," Tristan concluded. He gave Harry a wry look. "Your life is never dull, is it?"

Harry smiled ruefully. "My friend Hermione always claimed that I was a trouble magnet. If something can go wrong around me, it usually does."

Tristan snorted. "Now that I can believe. You've certainly managed to draw quite a few of the wrong sorts of people to you in a mere two days."

"Hey! You can't blame me for that. It's not my fault Silas Hargrove and Apollo Michaels are such creeps," said Harry indignantly.

"Who said anything about those two?" asked Tristan slyly. "I was referring to those ragamuffins you constantly hang out with."

"There's nothing wrong with Zane and Zenith," said Harry, scowling at the faerie.

"So you admit that there is something wrong with that annoying shifter?" asked Tristan smugly.

Harry blushed slightly at the oversight. "There's nothing wrong with him, either. Grey's just a little hyper is all."

"If you say so," said Tristan placatingly.

"I do," said Harry firmly. He yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to sleep now. I have Warding and Elemental Magic tomorrow." Without another word, he promptly pulled the bed hangings closed and crawled under the covers. Finally giving in to his exhaustion, Harry fell asleep almost immediately.

HPHP

Harry was surprised to see a strange owl swoop into the Dining Hall and drop a letter beside his plate before flying out of the room. He saw Remus' familiar scrawl on the envelope and smiled. He eagerly ripped the envelope open and unfolded the letter.

_Dear Kit, _

_I'm glad you've made new friends at school. To be honest, I was a little afraid you would be lonely there without Ron and Hermione's constant presence. It's nice to know that I was wrong. Besides, these new friends sound interesting._

_Your friends at Hogwarts are defending your honour quite nicely. The twins have made it their mission to prank the Headmaster as often as possible for what he did to you. I've enclosed a picture of the results of their first prank. Ron sent it to Bill, and it's absolutely hilarious._

_Even Molly and Arthur are doing what they can to make the Headmaster miserable. They found this spell that when triggered causes the victim to feel sick. In Dumbledore's case, the spell is triggered whenever he says or thinks about sending you back to those damn muggles._

_I miss you, kit. Write back soon._

_Love, Moony_

Harry flipped over the photo and burst out laughing. He would have to thank the twins for this. It was such a lovely look for the old man.

"What's that?" asked Grey curiously.

Harry handed the blond the picture, and Grey laughed at the amusing image. "That's my old Headmaster. A couple of my friends played that prank."

"The Headmaster?" asked Grey incredulously. He grinned broadly. "When can I meet these friends? Anyone who can pull off a prank on the Headmaster of their school so masterly has to be interesting."

Harry's happiness dimmed slightly. "I don't know. I can't exactly go back to England to visit them any time soon."

Grey frowned slightly. "Why not?"

"It's complicated," sighed Harry. "Let's just say that my safety would be an issue if I returned."

"Where will you stay over the holidays then?" asked Grey worriedly.

Harry smiled at his friend's obvious concern. "Remus and I are staying in Egypt with my best friend's oldest brother. Bill is a curse breaker for Gringott's bank."

"A curse breaker? That is so cool. I'm crap at wards, so I could never do it, but it's still a cool profession. Does he get to go into pyramids and tombs?" asked Grey excitedly.

"Yes, he does," said Harry promptly. "Just out of curiosity, what do you plan to do after you graduate?"

"I want to be a spell crafter when I graduate," said Grey firmly. "I like the idea of being able to improve old spells and invent new ones. What about you?"

"I'm not really sure. I would probably choose either healing or warding," mused Harry. He grinned impishly at the were-tiger. "Or I could always follow in Bill's shoes and become a curse breaker, as well."

Grey smiled.. "I think you'll do great no matter what you decide." A shadow fell across the table, and he looked up only to scowl when he saw Tristan. "What the hell do you want?"

Tristan ignored Grey completely. "Come on, Harry. Elemental Magic starts in fifteen minutes, and Professor Weatherstone gets extremely testy when anyone is late."

Harry sighed in exasperation. Tristan just had to irritate someone, didn't he? "Alright, I'm coming." He grabbed his bag and stood up, flashing Grey another grin. "I'll see you at supper, yeah?"

Grey nodded, but he just couldn't bring himself to return Harry's smile. He didn't like how close that bastard faerie was getting to Harry. The redhead was bad news and would only hurt his cute little friend. As he watched the pair walk away, Grey swore to protect Harry from harm, emotional or physical.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Harry walked into his Magi Arts class and saw Grey sitting with a pretty brunette sitting beside him. The were-tiger was talking animatedly, gesturing wildly with his hands. Harry just shook his head and found a seat toward the back. Since he didn't know anyone but Grey so far, he pulled out his text book and started to read.

A shadow suddenly fell across his desk, and Harry looked up curiously. A girl with pure white hair and mismatched eyes, one silver and the other bronze, stood before him. She smiled nervously and asked if she could sit in the seat next to him. Harry quickly agreed and moved his books over to give her room.

The girl sat down with a sigh and flashed Harry a cheerful smile. "I'm Vera Whitaker, a Winter Elf. Well, technically I'm only half Winter Elf. My mother was actually a Flora Fae, but I only inherited my dad's elven abilities. In fact, the only thing I inherited from my mother is my facial features and this eye colour," she said, pointing to her bronze coloured eye.

Harry stared at her curiously. "A Winter Elf? How many types of elves are there?"

"Well, there's only two main types: Light and Dark Elves. But each of those types have numerous subtypes. Winter Elves are grouped in with Dark Elves," Vera explained.

"Oh, I see," said Harry thoughtfully. He then remembered that he hadn't introduced himself. "I'm Harry Potter, a Kitiara. It's very nice to meet you."

"Same here," said Vera. "I've seen you in a couple of my classes, but... well, Tristan's a little scary these days, and Apollo... I don't like him at all. Tristan's sister, Callandra, was my best friend, and what Apollo did to her was terrible."

"Yeah, Tristan told me about that," said Harry softly.

Vera looked at Harry in surprise. "Really? I'm surprised. Tristan's never really been the talkative type, and he completely shut down when Callandra died."

"It's not like that," said Harry quickly. Before he could add anything to that, though, an arm draped around his shoulder, and long red hair brushed across his cheek.

"You didn't wait for me, vixen," Tristan practically purred in his ear.

Harry's face heated up, and he turned to glare at the faerie. "What are you doing, Tristan?" However, he didn't need the faerie to answer when he saw the murderous look on Grey's face. "Never mind. You just have to rile Grey up as much as possible, don't you?" He tilted his head and gazed at the redhead speculatively. "Do you like Grey, Tristan?"

Tristan stared at Harry blankly for a moment before a look of horror and disgust crossed his face. "How could you even think that? Gross! There is no way in hell I would ever like that mangy cur!"

Harry gave him a wide-eyed look and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, sorry. What else was I supposed to think? Every time you see him, you do something to make him jealous. I just figured you were trying to get him to make the first move or something."

Tristan sighed in exasperation. He couldn't believe his roommate was so damn oblivious. Of course, it figured that the first time he actually showed interest in someone, that someone wouldn't notice or return his interest. With an irritable scowl, Tristan sat down in the desk behind Harry without another word.

Vera giggled softly. At Harry's questioning look, she just grinned and shook her head. It was nice to see the normally cold faerie so worked up over someone else like this. And Harry was perfect for Tristan. The little kit had no problems with standing up to the faerie when he became too overbearing.

Harry was completely confused. Tristan seemed disappointed with him for some reason, and Vera was giggling quietly to herself about something. Unfortunately, he had a feeling the two were connected, and that didn't bode well for him. However, he didn't have time to ponder it further because the professor swept into the room.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to your first year of Magi Arts," said Professor Halloway cheerfully. "This class is basically a combined and advanced version of your Transfiguration, Charms, and The Dark Arts and their Defence classes. As wands are not allowed at Arcane Academy, the first class will be spent on finding a proper focus for those who need it."

Professor Halloway opened his desk drawer and pulled out a large box, setting it on his desk. "Alright, who already has a focus?" A quarter of the class raised their hands. "You're dismissed for this class. I'll see you again next week." He turned back to the rest of the class. "Are there any here who do not need a focus of any kind?"

Tristan raised his hand, scowling when Harry didn't. "Raise your hand, dummy. You don't need a focus. If you did, you wouldn't be able to control your healing and elemental magic as well as you do."

"Is there a problem, Mr. Hayward?" asked Professor Halloway.

"Harry doesn't need a focus," said Tristan bluntly. "He can use his elemental magic and healing magic with great precision already."

Professor Halloway raised his eyebrows in surprise. Although he'd never personally taught Tristan Hayward, he'd heard a lot about the boy. The faerie was very intelligent and powerful, but he was also cold and distant with all of his peers. For him to single out Harry Potter this way was surprising in more ways than one.

Professor Halloway made a shallow cut on his arm. "Heal this, Mr. Potter."

Harry slowly placed his hand on the professor's arm and focussed his magic on healing the cut on the other man's arm. The separated skin quickly fused back together, leaving no sign of the injury. The professor looked at his unblemished arm for a moment before turning on his heel and walking to his desk. He rummaged through the box for a moment and finally pulled out a small, tear-shaped amethyst on a delicate silver chain.

Professor Halloway walked back to Harry and held the necklace out to the Kitiara. "Wear this. It's main purpose is to calm and focus the mind rather than your magic itself. I think that will help you more than anything."

Harry took the necklace and carefully put it on. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," said Professor Halloway. "You and the other three who raised their hands are dismissed. I'll see you all next week."

Harry nodded and grabbed his bag. "I'll see you later, Vera." He didn't hear what she had to say in return, though, because Tristan grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the classroom. "Hey! Let go, Tristan. I can walk on my own."

Tristan completely ignored the brunet and dragged Harry back up to their dormitory room. Slamming and locking the door behind them, the faerie finally released the Kitiara. Harry pouted slightly and rubbed his arm where Tristan had grabbed him.

"What was that for?" asked Harry petulantly.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed... or worse?" asked Tristan harshly. "You are already at a disadvantage because you are a magical creature through inheritance. Your powers are still new, and you don't have the experience a born magical creature has."

"What is your point, Tristan?" asked Harry impatiently. The faerie wasn't telling him anything he didn't know already.

"Needing a focus makes you appear weak, and stronger magical creatures will inevitably prey on that weakness," said Tristan bluntly. "You've been lucky so far because you haven't encountered any of the truly dark creatures that are here, but that won't last forever, Harry."

Harry shivered slightly at that last statement. Tristan was right. The only demon he'd met so far was Zenith, and he knew Zenith was an exception of that race.

"Fortunately, that necklace Professor Halloway gave you won't be considered a magical focus," said Tristan.

"Why would needing a focus make me weak?" asked Harry. "Only four people in the entire class didn't need one. Are you saying that everyone else in the class will eventually fall prey to someone else here?"

"The elves and veela, yes," said Tristan bluntly. "Elves rely more on stealth, speed, and long range fighting while the veela rely more on veela magic and their allure. However, there are numerous demons and vampires who are immune to veela magic and fast enough to beat an elf's speed."

"What about the fae and shifters?" asked Harry curiously.

"Shifters can generally take care of themselves because they can be just as vicious as the vampires and demons," said Tristan wryly. "The fae, however, have the elements on their side`, so vampires and demons are a little more wary about attacking us."

"That still doesn't explain why needing a focus makes you weak," said Harry in exasperation.

"Because it means you have less control of your abilities," snapped Tristan. "If you were faced with a wizard with a wand and a wizard without a wand, which would you go after first?"

"The one with a wand, but that's because most wizards aren't capable of wandless magic," said Harry reasonably.

"Okay, bad example. Imagine you were faced with an elf with a staff or an elf with a sword. Which would you attack first?" asked Tristan.

"The elf with a sword. I can defend against magic a lot better than I can a sword," said Harry.

"You're hopeless. You're missing the point entirely," sighed Tristan. "Come on. We'll go to the library and work on our elemental magic homework until lunch."

***

Harry practically collapsed into his seat at supper, ignoring Zenith's questioning gaze for a long moment. He finally sighed and sat up straight, rubbing his throbbing temples wearily. "Hi, Zenith. How was your day?"

"Better than yours apparently. What happened?" asked Zenith curiously.

Harry groaned softly at the question. "Well, I had my first Magi Arts class today. That in itself wasn't so bad, but Tristan and Grey were both in the class, and you know Tristan just loves to rile Grey up as much as possible. Fortunately, though, Tistan and I got to leave class early because we didn't need a focus of any kind, and we spent the rest of the morning in the library catching up on homework."

Zenith raised his eyebrows at that. "You and Tristan certainly seem to be getting along rather well."

Harry smiled slightly. "He's still an arse, but he's nowhere near as bad as I thought he would be. He can actually be quite nice when he wants to be."

"So what else happened today?" asked Zenith. "So far, it doesn't seem so bad."

"No, it didn't get bad until after lunch," said Harry wearily. "Zane, Grey, and Tristan all had Ancient Runes with me. Unfortunately, Apollo and Silas Hargrove were also in the class. And to make matters worse, the professor decided to assign permanent partners for the class. Can you guess what happened then?"

"You got stuck with Silas?" guessed Zenith.

"That may have actually been preferable," said Harry ruefully. "No, I was partnered with his much nicer cousin, Gillian Hargrove. That, however, only lasted the first ten minutes of class because Tristan and Grey were partnered together, as well, and they acted like gits the whole time they were together."

Zenith snickered. "Oh, that's too funny. What was your professor thinking?"

"He wasn't," said Harry. "Anyway, the professor finally got tired of their constant bickering and decided to reassign their partners, and that's how I got dragged into the mix."

"So who'd you all get stuck with then?" asked Zenith with an amused smile.

"Grey got partnered with Gillian, and I ended up with Tristan," sighed Harry.

Zenith burst into laughter. "It just gets better and better. I bet Grey sulked during the rest of class, didn't he?"

"He glared at Tristan the whole time, and Tristan just smirked at him," said Harry, rolling his eyes at the memory. "It was absolutely ridiculous."

"I think it's hilarious," said Zenith with another snicker. "So who was Zane's partner?"

"Zane got lucky. He was paired with a girl named Amanda Claybourne," said Harry. "They actually seemed to get along quite well."

"It's not that surprising. Zane gets along with almost everybody," said Zenith wryly.

Harry smiled at that. "You have a point there. He was my first friend at this school." He looked up at Zenith and stared at the Dracken thoughtfully. "Can you tell me a little about demons, Zenith?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked Zenith curiously.

"Well, you're the only demon I've ever met, and I think you're a really great guy. But Tristan told me that most demon's were extremely vicious and that they prey on the weak. That's why he was so adamant about me not needing a focus. He said that those who needed a focus were considered weak," said Harry hesitantly.

Zenith sighed softly. "Tristan's right. Most demons are like that. There's only a few races of demons that are actually peaceful, and Drackens are one of them. Well, most of the animal based demons are relatively peaceful, but those are few in number these days." He tapped his fingers against the table as he thought of what he should say. "There are only six demons at Arcane Academy this year that you really need to watch out for. Octavius is a Shadow Demon. He mostly keeps to himself, but he can go anywhere there are shadows, and he can manipulate them into doing whatever he wants, including killing someone."

"How is that possible? Shadows are like wind. They don't have a physical body," asked Harry.

"With his magic, he can make them anything, even turn solid," said Zenith seriously. "Sheila is a fire demon, and she's a vicious little bitch. She's more likely to set you on fire than actually talk to you. Of course, you don't have to worry about that since you can control the elements, too. Then there's Tia and Tora, they're twin ice demons." He shivered as he said it. He couldn't stand those two demons. They were even bigger bitches than Sheila was.

Harry smirked slightly. "So stay away from the hormonal female demons? I take it they're enough to make the entire demon population swear off women entirely?"

Zenith snickered. "You got that right."

"So who are the last two demons to steer clear of?" asked Harry curiously.

Zenith sobered slightly. "Seth is probably the worst. He's a mist demon. He has the ability to turn his body into a mist-like substance. He killed someone last year when he turned his body into mist and completely surrounded the other person. That guy suffocated to death as a result."

"And the last demon?" asked Harry, silently promising himself to avoid Seth by any means possible.

"Claudius is an Illusion Demon. He can trick you into seeing anything he wants you to see," said Zenith grimly.

"What do they look like?" asked Harry warily.

"Sheila's a bloody Amazon. She's at least six feet tall with flaming red hair and bright red eyes. She also has a flame tattoo on her left cheek. The ice twins have ice blue hair and colourless eyes, and Seth has white hair, black eyes, and very pale skin. Octavius and Claudius are half brothers, but they look like identical twins. They both have pitch black hair, solid black eyes, and tanned skin. However, Claudius has a tattoo of crossed swords on the side of his neck," said Zenith. "Of course, it's the vampires you really have to worry about. Vampires are blood thirsty little leeches, and they don't care where they get their next meal or how unwilling said meal is." He grinned and ruffled Harry's hair. "So I guess it's a good thing I warded your room to keep the nasty little buggers out, right?"

Harry's ears perked up. "When did you do that?"

"When I helped you move into your room," said Zenith. "I wasn't sure if you knew to do so or not, so I did them for you."

Harry smiled warmly. "Thank you, Zenith."

Zenith flushed lightly at the Kitiara's warm smile. The kit's innocence brought out his protective instincts, but that smile made his far less innocent instincts take notice. He forcibly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He'd rip out his heart before he did anything to drive Harry away. The little brunet's friendship was far too important to him.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" asked Grey cheerfully as he flopped gracelessly into his chair.

Zenith suppressed a sigh and turned to smile at Grey. "We were talking about you and Tristan, of course."

Grey's smile immediately turned into a scowl. "That damn faerie was all over Harry. Who the hell does he think he is?"

Zenith looked at Harry with raised eyebrows. "All over you?"

Harry scowled irritably and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Tristan was not all over me. Grey's just being melodramatic."

"I am not. I saw him with his arm wrapped around you, whispering in your ear," said Grey hotly. "And you just let him do it. What's wrong with you?"

Harry glared at Grey. "There's nothing wrong with me, Dougrey," he hissed angrily, baring his little fangs at the shifter. "I don't care if you like Tristan or not, but you don't have any right to dictate who I choose as friends, so back off now."

Grey froze at the snarled command. It was times like this that reminded him that Harry could be deadly if he so chose. The little Kitiara looked ready to kill right now, and that look was aimed squarely at him. It was very clear that if he wanted to keep Harry's friendship, he would have to learn to tolerate that faerie bastard.

"You're right, Harry. I apologise," said Grey softly. As much as he hated Tristan, even he had noticed that the redhead didn't treat Harry like he treated everyone else. That didn't mean he had to like it, though. He just had to show his dislike a little more discreetly.

Harry sighed and stood from the table. "I'm going to bed. I'll talk to you two tomorrow, okay?"

"How about we meet in the library after breakfast to work on Arithmancy and Blood Rites?" Zenith suggested.

"Sure, Zenith. I need all the help I can get with those two classes," said Harry gratefully. Hopefully, once he caught up a little bit, it wouldn't be such a struggle to learn the material, which meant less headaches for him.

Grey looked a little downtrodden from being ignored. Harry stopped by his side and placed his hand on the were-tiger's blond hair, running his fingers through the golden strands. "Would you like to join us tomorrow, Grey?"

Grey looked up quickly with a bright smile. "Yes!"

Harry smiled slightly and nodded. "I'll warn you now, though. Zenith is a total slave driver when it comes to his tutoring, so you better be prepared to work and learn."

"I wasn't that bad, Harry," Zenith protested with a light laugh. "We just had a lot of material to cover at once."

"If you say so," said Harry doubtfully. He looked at the time and groaned. "I need to go stir our potion, and then I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Harry," said Zenith.

"Dream of me," said Grey cheerfully.

Harry just rolled his eyes and walked out of the dining hall.

***

The two months passed much the same way. With Zenith's help, he was finally caught up in all his classes. After his conversation with Zenith about demons, he also noticed that he had elemental magic with the three females and Ancient Runes with the brothers. Fortunately, though, they all ignored his existence entirely.

Now it was the day before Halloween, and Arcane Academy was having a festival. Food booths were erected in the dining hall, haunted houses were created in several classrooms, and several different museums were set up along the way. Harry was actually looking forward to the holiday for once. They never did anything like this at Hogwarts.

The sixth year students were responsible for the food booths. Harry, Tristan, Zane, and Grey were responsible for the English booth. Unfortunately, Harry was the only one who could actually cook, so he got stuck with all of the cooking while the other three served the food. Gillian, Silas, and Apollo were responsible for the American booth, and poor Gillian looked miserable. There was also a Japanese booth, a Chinese booth, an Indian booth, a French booth, a Spanish booth, a German booth, and a Russian booth. And as soon as he got a little free time, Harry was going to visit every single one of them. He'd never gotten to try any foreign foods like that.

What was even better, though, was that parents and guardians were invited to the festival, so he would get to see Remus again. He couldn't wait.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Tristan irritably. He hated these stupid festivals.

"My godfather is coming to the festival tomorrow," said Harry happily. "Are your parents coming, too?"

"No. My parents are too busy to waste time at a silly little festival," said Tristan bitterly. "They've never bothered to come to one."

"Oh," said Harry guiltily. "W-Would you like to meet my godfather? His name is Remus Lupin, and he's a werewolf. He's pretty much the only family I have."

Tristan looked surprised at the offer. "You really want to introduce me to your godfather?"

"Of course," said Harry.

"Okay," said Tristan. Maybe the festival wouldn't be so bad this year.

"Great! Now help me get these ingredients stored properly. I can't actually start cooking until in the morning, but we can at least set everything up beforehand," said Harry.

***

Harry grinned and pounced on Remus as soon as the werewolf stopped in front of their booth. "Moony, you're here. I missed you so much."

Remus smiled and hugged Harry tightly. "I missed you, too, kit. Letters just aren't enough."

Harry laughed and grabbed his hand, dragging Remus along with him. "Come on. I want you to meet my friends." He saw Tristan first and dragged Remus toward the redhead. "This is my roommate, Tristan. Tristan, this is my godfather, Remus Lupin."

Remus smiled and held out his hand. "It's good to finally meet you, Tristan. Harry's told me so much about you in his letters."

Tristan slowly shook his hand. "He's talked about me in his letters?"

"Oh, there's Zane. You have to meet him, too," said Harry quickly, dragging Remus away from Tristan. As soon as they were out of earshot, Harry scowled at Remus. "You have a big mouth, Moony."

Remus just smiled unrepentantly. "What kind of godfather would I be if I didn't embarrass you in front of your friends."

"The good kind," said Harry pointedly.

"Hey, Harry. Who's this?" asked Zane as they drew near.

"Zane, this is my godfather, Remus Lupin," said Harry.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin. Harry's told us a lot about you," said Zane politely.

"Same here," said Remus.

Before they could say anything, they heard a loud crash. Harry hurried in the back and found Grey standing in the centre of a pile of shattered glass. "Grey, what the hell did you do?"

Grey flushed guiltily and bent down to clean up the glass. "I'm sorry, Harry. I accidentally knocked the plates off the counter. I'll clean it up, though."

Harry sighed irritably. "Stop, Grey. You'll cut yourself like that. I'll fix it." He waved his hand over the mess. "Reparo." The shards of glass flew off the ground and reformed into perfectly formed plates. Harry then levitated them back onto the counter. "Please be more careful, Grey. And wash those plates again."

"Ah, so you're the Grey from Harry's letter," said Remus, watching the scene with an amused gaze. Harry sounded just like his mother just then, reprimanding the other boy in exasperation.

"He talks about me?" asked Grey eagerly.

"He's told me about all of his friends," said Remus diplomatically. "I'm glad he has so many new friends. I haven't seen him this happy in a while."

"Harry's a great person," said Grey softly. "I'm really glad he decided to attend this school. I don't like to think of a life where we'd never met."

Harry blushed at the confession. That was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to him.

Remus just smiled fondly and ruffled Harry's hair. "He does have that effect on people, doesn't he?"

Harry turned to glare at his godfather when he caught sight of Zenith making his way toward them. "There's Zenith. You have to meet him, too. Without him, I would be completely lost." He dragged Remus out of the booth and headed toward Zenith. "Zenith, I want you to meet my godfather. This is Remus Lupin."

Remus blinked up at the huge demon. "Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you." Harry had mentioned how Zenith was, but that didn't prepare him for the reality of it. He only reached the demon's shoulder, and Harry was even smaller, only reaching Zenith's breastbone.

Zenith grinned at his reaction. "It's nice to meet you, as well." He looked at Harry. "Well, are you going to impress me with your cooking, or are you going to make find somewhere else to eat?"

"Oh, right," said Harry sheepishly. "Come on then. I made Yorkshire pudding, Bangers and Mash, Roast and Gravy, Treacle Tart, Mince Meat Pies, and Spotted Dick."

Remus's stomach growled loudly at the list of food. "Great! I'm starving."

Harry smiled happily as they walked back to the booth to eat. Although he sorely missed Ron and Hermione, he still had to admit that this was the happiest Halloween he'd ever had.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Harry walked silently beside Tristan as they headed back to their dorm room. He frowned and subtly glanced around the corridor, feeling as though someone was watching him. There was no one but Tristan and him in the corridor, though. Despite that, Harry's frown deepened. For the past two weeks, ever since the Halloween festival in fact, he constantly felt like someone was watching him, and it was seriously beginning to creep him out because no matter how hard he looked, he never saw who the culprit was. His dorm room had become his only safe haven from the hidden eyes, and that was only because Zenith had warded the hell out of it.

"What's wrong?" asked Tristan, looking down at the brunet.

Harry jumped slightly at the sound of Tristan's voice and looked up at the faerie. "I feel like someone's watching me." He finally shrugged and smiled weakly. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, though."

Tristan frowned and looked intently around the corridor. A slight movement to his left caught his eye, and he growled softly when he realised what was going on. That damn bastard, Octavius, was using his shadows to spy on Harry.

"Do you see something?" asked Harry worriedly, looking toward the area Trisan was currently glaring. He didn't see anything, though. It was just one of the many shadowy spaces along the corridor.

The shadows were completely still now, and Tristan sighed softly before turning back toward Harry. "No, nothing's there." He didn't know what that demon was up to, but he was certainly going to find out. Octavius would die a slow and painful death if he even though about hurting Harry in any way.

Once back in their room, Harry found a letter waiting for him on his bed. He picked it up and smiled happily when he saw Remus' familiar handwriting. He couldn't wait to find out what the twins had done to Dumbledore this week. Remus' weekly letters, detailing the twins' antics with accompanying photo, never failed to brighten his mood. Just last week, the werewolf had sent photos of Dumbledore wearing red robes with devil horns on his head and a long forked, red tail lashing angrily behind him. The Headmaster's white beard was replaced with a thin, curling moustache, and a short goatee. Now that was a fitting image for the old man.

Harry eagerly opened the letter and pulled out the enclosed photo. One look at the image, and he laughed so hard his sides began to hurt. Dumbledore's hair and beard were replaced with dozens of tiny snakes, hissing and biting at the old man. What made it even better was the fact that Harry understood every insult the snakes spouted.

Tristan sat on the bed beside Harry, wondering what had caused his laughter and blinked in surprise at the photo. "It's a male gorgon. That's a first."

"Gorgon?" asked Harry curiously, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yeah, you know like Medusa from Greek mythology," said Tristan.

Harry just stared blankly at the redhead. He felt that he should know what Tristan was talking about, but they hadn't discussed Greek mythology at Hogwarts, and he'd never gone past primary school of his muggle education.

Tristan shook his head in exasperation. "There were three gorgons in Greek mythology. All of them were female, and two of them were immortal. Medusa, however, was killed by a Greek hero named Perseus. The gorgons had venomous snakes rather than hair, and their gaze could turn any living creature into stone."

"So they were basically half human, half basilisk?" asked Harry, grinning when Tristan nodded. He then smirked down at the photo. "How fitting."

Tristan saw the smirk and couldn't help but ask. "Seriously, Harry, what did that man ever do to you? That way, I can make sure I never do the same. I don't know if I could survive the resulting humiliation."

Harry tensed at the question, ears laying flat against his head. "I doubt you ever have to worry about that, Tristan."

"Why do you say that?" asked Tristan warily.

"Unless you succeed in almost killing me, of course," said Harry flatly.

Tristan stared at Harry in horror. "Are you serious?"

"Oh, he didn't dirty his own hands with the deed, but he was certainly just as responsible," said Harry calmly. "After all, he is the one who left me in care of magic hating muggles after my parents died. I'm sure you can imagine their response to being burdened with the very thing they hated."

Ignoring the soft growl of fury from Tristan, Harry continued his story with forced calm. "When I started at Hogwarts, I got a reprieve from their abuse for nine months, but the school turned out to be just as dangerous in its own way. Dumbledore had a nasty habit of setting up events so that I would be forced to face the very man who killed my parents, barely surviving each encounter. However, each summer, I was forced to return to my relative's house. For my safety, of course."

Harry's fists clenched in remembered rage at what happened next. "This summer was the worst. Almost as soon as I got back to my relative's house, my uncle beat me until I was unconscious. I was only there a few days, but each night, Vernon would come into my room and beat me as viciously as he could. Fortunately, my aunt finally grew a spine and contacted Remus. When he found me, I was in a coma and very near death's door."

"What happened then?" asked Tristan in a whisper. He couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel to someone as kind-hearted as Harry.

"Remus informed Dumbledore that he was taking me to St. Mungo's for my injuries, and the Headmaster threatened to have him arrested for kidnapping if he took me out of the house. His plan was to send the school's Potions Master to heal me enough to keep me alive and to leave me be."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Tristan burst out angrily. "What the hell was that man thinking?"

Harry just gave him a mirthless smile. "Remus, of course, refused. Snape, the Potions Master, proved to be an invaluable help. When he saw the state I was in, he healed me to the best of his abilities and told Remus to take me and get as far away as possible. He then told Dumbledore that we were already gone when he arrived."

"How did you get away, though?" asked Tristan intently. "That bastard can't find you, can he?"

"My best friend's oldest brother, Bill, gave us a portkey to his cottage in Egypt," said Harry with a slight smile. "He figured that Dumbledore would never suspect him from helping us because Dumbledore had just tried to Obliviate him about my true condition."

"You're right then," said Tristan abruptly. At Harry's bemused look, Tristan added, "I'll probably piss you off more times than you count, but I will never willingly hurt you like that. Or let anyone else, for that matter."

Harry stared at the faerie in surprise before a sweet smile crossed his face. "I know." As much as that warmed his heart, though, he knew he would eventually have to return to England to face Voldemort, and Tristan just couldn't protect him from that, no matter how much he may want to. That stupid prophecy mandated that he was the only one who could kill the snake-faced bastard, after all.

The bedroom window suddenly swung open, and a falcon swooped into the room with a letter clutched in its beak. The falcon flew toward Tristan and dropped the letter in his lap before flying back out the window, which shut back automatically. Tristan scowled and opened the letter. The scowl quickly turned into a fulminating glare the longer he read until finally, he tossed the letter aside with a disgusted sneer.

"Bad news?" asked Harry hesitantly.

"My oh so loving parents decided to go on a six month diplomatic mission to the Veela nation in France, so I'm stuck here during the Christmas holidays," said Tristan irritably. "They do this every damn year. Last year, they went to the Elemental nation in Greece, and the year before that was the Inu Yokai nation in Japan. It's been this way ever since Callandra died. Although they deny it, I guess they really do blame me for letting Apollo hurt her like that. I tried to tell her he was no good, but she refused to listen to me. Apollo was her world, and he destroyed her."

Harry's ears drooped in sympathy. "Tristan," he said softly, stemming the words of blame uttered by Tristan. "Callandra's death was not your fault. You tried to help her, and she refused your help. She trusted the wrong person and was hurt for it. It was not your fault. And quite frankly, if your parents can't see that, then they are complete and utter fools."

Tristan stared at Harry in shock. Harry was the only one besides his grandmother who had defended him like that. The rest of the family was perfectly content to follow his parents' example and place the blame for Callandra's death squarely on his shoulders. In fact, they'd probably rejoice if they were never forced to see him again.

Harry suddenly grinned and bounced on his feet excitedly. "Since you won't be going home for the holidays, why don't you spend them with me and Remus? I'm sure he and Bill won't mind the added company."

"You want to spend the holidays with you?" asked Tristan softly, a small kernel of hope unfurling in his chest.

"Of course. Christmas is much better when you're surrounded by friends and family," said Harry happily. He heard Tristan sigh softly, and he looked at the faerie only to see an unbearably sad look on the redhead's face. "You don't want to?"

"I do," said Tristan quickly. "I was just surprised is all. You're the first one who's ever asked me." He smiled slightly and tugged on Harry's ear. "Perhaps you should ask your guardian if it's alright first, though."

"I'll do that tomorrow," Harry promised. For some reason, though, he couldn't help but feel as though he'd disappointed Tristan in some way. Perhaps he would discover why over the holidays.

XxX

Harry hurried into the dining hall, feeling a bit paranoid. Once again, he'd felt like he was being watched, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves. As he walked into the dining hall, he felt something grab his ankle and tug. Harry fell forward only to crash against someone's chest rather than the floor.

"I'm so sorry," said Harry quickly. He tried to step back, but strong arms wrapped around his waist, keeping him place. He looked up at his captor and froze in shock. It was Octavius Winters, one of the very demons Zenith warned him to avoid at all costs. "Thank you for catching me, but you can let me go now. I'm fine."

Octavius merely tightened his arms around Harry. He finally had the little kit right where he wanted him, and he didn't want to let go. He'd noticed the little brunet in his Ancient Runes class and had been fascinated with the boy. The Kitiara just seemed to shine with a mixture of pure power, innocence, happiness, and strength. It was an irresistible combination to the shadow demon.

"Octy-baby, what are you doing? The brat seems perfectly fine."

Octavius growled softly at the nickname and the person who'd spoken it. He absolutely hated that bitch, Sheila. Ever since she'd been informed of her betrothal to the Winter's heir, she'd latched onto him like she owned him. Wouldn't she be in for a rude awakening when she realised that Claudius was the Winter's heir, and not him?

"I'll see you around, little kit," said Octavius softly, reluctantly releasing the green-eyed brunet. He then glared darkly at Sheila and stalked out of the room.

Harry, on the other hand, just stood there in shock. What was that all about?

"Are you alright, Harry?"

Harry blinked in surprise and looked up to see Zenith standing in front of him with a concerned look on his face. "I'm fine. I just tripped on something."

"Octavius didn't do anything to you?" asked Zenith worriedly.

"No," said Harry slowly. "Why?"

Zenith just shook his head and ushered Harry over to an empty table. That little meeting had just confirmed the rumours he'd heard, and that worried him immensely. Octavius planned to court Harry. And if that was so, Harry's life was going to get a great deal harder. For one thing, Sheila would be out for his blood when she found out. That bloody wench was a possessive bitch when it came to Octavius.

"So what are your plans for Christmas?" asked Harry with a grin.

"I always stay here over the holidays," said Zenith calmly. "My parents both died several years ago, and my grandfather doesn't celebrate the holidays."

"Well, why don't you spend the holidays with me? I asked Tristan to come, as well," said Harry hopefully.

"Are you sure it's alright?" asked Zenith with a fond smile.

"I'm sending a letter to ask today," said Harry quickly. "If Remus says it's alright, will you come?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Zenith promised. Even the prospect of having to spend time with Tristan didn't change that. In fact, ever since Harry had moved in with the weather faerie, the redhead hadn't been nearly as abrasive as before. Harry truly was a little miracle worker.

"Wouldn't miss what?" asked Grey as he sat down at the table.

"Harry asked me to spend the holidays with him this year," said Zenith, smirking smugly at the were-tiger.

"What? No fair. I wanna spend the holidays with Harry, too," whinged Grey childishly.

"Stop sulking," Zane ordered calmly. "You have to spend the holidays with your own family."

"It's still not fair," pouted Grey.

Zane just sighed in exasperation. And that was why Grey would never have a chance with Harry. Simply put, the shifter was too immature for the Kitiara to view him as a potential mate.

"What about you, Zane? What are you doing for the holidays?" asked Harry curiously.

"I'm spending them with my betrothed's family this year," said Zane softly.

Grey suddenly sat up and glared at the Incubus. "Betrothed? When did that happen?"

"My parents told me of the arrangement last year," said Zane.

"And why am I just now hearing about it?" Grey demanded angrily. "Who is it?"

Zane raised an eyebrow at the blond. "Careful, Grey. You sound like a jealous lover."

"Been there, done that," snapped Grey. "As I recall, we decided that we were better suited as friends. So again, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it doesn't concern you," said Zane bluntly.

"I see," said Grey softly. He slowly pushed his plate away and got to his feet. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.

"Please excuse me," said Zane, rising from his seat and following the were-tiger out of the room.

"Well, that was awkward," mumbled Zenith quietly.

"I hope they'll be okay," said Harry softly.

"They've been through a lot together," said Zenith reassuringly. "I'm sure they'll work something out. They've been best friends too long for them not to."

Harry sighed softly. "I certainly hope so. I don't like seeing them hurt and upset like this." He finally pushed his plate away and stood. "I need to send Remus a letter before class, so I'll see you at lunch."

"Be careful, Harry," said Zenith.

"Of what?"

"Octavius has taken an interest in you, and that attention can be a dangerous thing," said Zenith solemnly. "Be especially wary of Sheila. She'll attack you in a heartbeat if she believes you're trying to take Octavius away from her."

"Great," muttered Harry. "That's just what I need. An insanely jealous demon out to get me over someone I hardly know. Why can't my life be normal for a change?"

Zenith just snorted. "Normal is highly overrated. We would never have met if you were normal, Harry."

"I suppose you're right," said Harry. He flashed the Dracken an impish smile. "I still haven't decided whether that's a good thing or not, though."

"Brat," said Zenith fondly. "You better hurry if you want to send out that letter. Class starts in twenty minutes."

Harry cursed softly and rushed from the room.

XxX

Two days later, Harry finally received a reply from Remus. A wide grin curved his lips as he read the letter. Not only could Tristan and Zenith spend Christmas with him at the cottage, Bill had also arranged for the Weasley family plus Hermione to spend Christmas in Egypt this year. He couldn't wait.

As he hurried to the library for his tutoring session with Zenith, though, a harsh hand grabbed Harry by the hair and slammed him against the wall. A fall of fiery red hair fell across his face when the figure behind him leaned down, jerking his head back uncomfortably. Harry silently groaned when he saw who held him immobile.

"Let me go, Sheila."

Sheila grinned nastily and tightened her grip on his hair. "I don't believe I will. You see, I don't like it when sluts like you try to seduce my man away from me."

"Good for you," snapped Harry irritably. "So what does that have to do with me?"

"Oh, don't act all innocent, you little whore," snarled Sheila angrily. "You've been sniffing after Octavius, and I won't allow it."

"What the hell are you talking about? I've barely said two words to Octavius since school started. In fact, the only time I've spoken to him at all was the other day when I tripped into him," said Harry incredulously.

"Liar!" growled Sheila, digging her fingernails painfully into Harry's scalp.

Sudden fury roiled through Harry at the accusation. He was sick and fucking tired of being labelled a liar just because people didn't want to hear the truth. He reached back and grabbed the hand Sheila had in his hair, causing her to hiss in pain when ice began to form around her hand.

Sheila quickly released Harry and stepped back, cradling her hand against her chest. She watched with a hint of fear as the brunet turned around to face her with a look of cold fury on his face. She could practically see the magic swirling around the Kitiara, and a small voice inside her head whispered for her to run. She stupidly ignored the warning, though, and sneered at Harry.

"Is the little slut angry?" she taunted. "You don't actually think you managed to hurt me with your little ice display, do you?" She smirked and formed a fireball in her other hand. "Ice is weak against fire." She surrounded her frozen hand with fire to melt the ice only to gasp in horror once the ice was gone. Her entire hand was black. "What did you do?"

"As you've just seen for yourself, ice is just as deadly in its own way," said Harry casually. "Frostbite's a bitch to deal with. You could possibly lose that hand altogether if it's not healed properly, so you may want to run along to the infirmary as quickly as possible. Time's a ticking, you know."

"L-Lose my hand?" screeched Sheila. She sobbed harshly and ran down the corridor.

As soon as she was out of sight, Harry fell back against the wall and slid to the floor. He was little horrified himself about what he'd done. Yes, Sheila had attacked him first, but what he'd done was just cruel. She could really lose her hand because of him.

Harry finally climbed to his feet and trudged to the library, looking as miserable as he felt. He headed straight for Zenith's table and sat down without a word of greeting, dropping his head to the table with a soft thump.

"What's wrong, Harry?" asked Zenith worriedly. He'd never seen the brunet look so miserable.

"I'm a horrible, cruel person," mumbled Harry unhappily.

Zenith blinked in surprise at that response. What in the world could have possibly happened to make him think that? "Why do you say that?"

Harry sighed and lifted watery green eyes up to gaze at Zenith. "Sheila may actually lose her hand because I froze it enough to cause frostbite."

Zenith could only stare at Harry in shock. "Pardon me?"

Harry scowled at the Dracken. "You heard me the first time. Zenith, I feel horrible about this. I want to heal her, but I'm afraid that if I do, she'll think that I'm weak or something and try to attack me again. What do you think I should do?"

Zenith smiled at the brunet and brushed a strand of dark hair out of Harry's eyes. "I think you should do what your instincts tell you to do. And if she does try to attack you again, just remind her what could have happened if you hadn't stepped in to help."

"You're right," sighed Harry. "She's so unpleasant, though. She slammed me into the wall and almost ripped my hair out with her damn claws."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" asked Zenith immediately, already rising from his chair.

"Just a few scratches is all," said Harry quickly. "They'll be healed by morning." He smiled at the relieved look on Zenith's face. He got to his feet and grabbed the Dracken's arm. "Come on. Sheila may still be in the infirmary. Besides, I won't be able to concentrate on anything else until I do this."

"Alright," said Zenith warmly.

When they reached the infirmary, Harry was disheartened to hear someone crying softly. Dread settling in his stomach, he slowly walked over to the curtained off bed and pulled the curtains aside. Sheila sat on the bed with her blackened hand clutched to her chest with tears streaming down her face.

"What do you want? Haven't you done enough?" she demanded tearfully.

"That's why I'm here," sighed Harry. He reached for her hand, ignoring her efforts to avoid his grasp, and cradled it between his own hands. Taking a deep breath, he pulled on his healing magic and sent it rushing into the appendage he held.

Sheila gasped in pain as the magic rushed through her previously numb hand, slowly turning the blackened skin to its original cream coloured skin. When all traces of frostbite were gone, Harry dropped her hand and staggered back a few steps before Zenith wrapped his arms around the brunet to steady him.

Sheila just stared down at her hand in shock. The medi-witch had told her there was nothing she could do to heal her hand and that the only option was to amputate the limb completely to avoid the risk of infection. How had this boy managed to heal her so completely?

Harry sighed and slumped a bit in Zenith's arms. "I'm tired, Zenith. I caused a lot more damage than I realised."

"Then go to sleep. I'll get you back to your room safely," said Zenith softly, shifting the brunet so that he was holding him bridal style.

"Okay," mumbled Harry sleepily. Knowing the Dracken would keep his promise, he finally gave in to his exhaustion and fell asleep in Zenith's arms.

Zenith turned to leave but paused at the door to give Sheila a hard look. "Don't come after him again. I will make what he did to you today seem trivial in comparison."

Sheila froze at the threat. Zenith may seem mild mannered compared to most demons, but he was first and foremost a Dracken, and Drackens could be some of the most vicious creatures in the world when they or someone they loved were threatened. It seemed that this Dracken had finally found the one he wanted to protect the most.

Sheila finally nodded curtly. She would keep her distance from the boy. She rubbed her newly healed hand absently. One encounter was more than enough to convince her.

"Wise decision," said Zenith coldly, turning back around and leaving the room.

Zenith carried Harry up to his dorm room and settled the brunet on the bed. Harry sighed softly and nuzzled his cheek deeper into Zenith's pillow, relaxing into a deep sleep. Zenith smiled wistfully at the sight, wishing it were him Harry was cuddled against. There was still hope, though. Trust was only the first step.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Harry awoke, he saw Zenith hunched over his desk sound asleep. He checked the time and was surprised to find that he'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. It was just a little after midnight. He was still dead tired, but he didn't want to inconvenience Zenith anymore than he already had. Besides, the poor Dracken looked extremely uncomfortable in his current position.

Harry climbed out of bed, shoving the blankets to the foot of the bed, and gently levitated the sleeping demon onto the bed. He pulled the blankets up to Zenith's chest and kissed the demon's forehead. "Thank you for keeping me safe, Zenith. Sweet dreams."

Leaving a note on the desk, telling Zenith where he'd gone, Harry silently left the room and headed toward his own dorm room. Fortunately, it was Friday so he could sleep late this morning to replenish his depleted store of magic. Once he reached his room, he slipped silently into the room, trying not to wake Tristan, but he needn't have bothered. The faerie was still wide awake and scowling at him.

"Where have you been? You were supposed to be back hours ago. And don't even bother trying to tell me your tutoring session ran late because you weren't in the library when I checked," Tristan demanded.

"You went looking for me?" asked Harry, blinking at the faerie in surprise. "Why?"

Tristan blushed slightly and looked away. "I thought maybe Octavius had managed to get his hands on you or something."

"Well, you're close, actually. Instead of Octavius, though, it was Sheila who attacked me," said Harry ruefully.

"That bitch attacked you? Are you hurt anywhere?" asked Tristan quickly, looking at Harry intently to see if there were any visible marks or wounds.

"My scalp suffered the most damage," said Harry dryly, remembering the claws wrapped in his hair and digging painfully into his scalp. "But Sheila's the one who suffered the most. I'm afraid I let my temper get the best of me, and Sheila paid the price."

"What did you do to her? Did you set her on fire, too?" asked Tristan curiously.

Harry stared at Tristan in disbelief. "What good would that? She's a bloody fire demon. No, actually, I took a page from your book, and I froze one of her hands enough to give her a bad case of frostbite." Harry looked down at the floor in shame. "I even taunted her about losing her hand if it was left untreated."

Tristan saw the guilt on Harry 's face and groaned softly. "Let me guess. You felt bad about the idea of her losing her hand and just had to heal the bint."

Harry smile sheepishly. "To be fair, she really would have lost her hand if I hadn't done so. When I got to the infirmary, she was crying because the nurse had already told her there was nothing she could do except amputate her hand to keep the damage from spreading. The damage was almost too extensive for even me to heal, and I ended up passing out from magical exhaustion. Fortunately, Zenith was with me, and he took me to his room to rest. I woke up just a short while ago and came straight here."

"You're entirely too soft-hearted for your own good," said Tristan with an exasperated scowl.

Harry ignored that comment and decided to change the subject. He pulled Remus' letter out of his pocket and waved it in the air. "I have good news, though. Remus said it was alright for you and Zenith to spend the holidays with me."

"He just had to invite the damn dragon, as well," muttered Tristan softly, speaking too softly for Harry to hear. Some of his bitterness must have shown on his face because Harry was looking at him in concern. He forced a smile and said, "That is good news. I'm looking forward to it."

Harry wasn't convinced. "Are you upset that I invited Zenith?" he asked bluntly. He immediately saw the redhead tense before forcibly relaxing his muscles and knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Zenith is my friend, too, Tristan. I don't want him to spend the holidays alone, either."

"Waverly doesn't want to be just your friend, Harry, and all you're doing is encouraging that thought," snapped Tristan, scowling at the brunet. Why couldn't Harry see what was right in front of him?

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry in bemusement. "Zenith-"

"Wants to be your mate," growled Tristan irritably. "And the very idea of that absolutely infuriates me."

Harry could only look at Tristan in shock. "Why-? Does that mean you-"

"Want to be your mate? Yes, damn it, it does," said Tristan with a frustrated sigh. "Honestly, I don't know how you could have possibly missed that fact. I've never felt this way about anyone but you. And I know for a fact, Zenith feels the same way."

"I-" Harry broke off what he was saying and took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say right now, Tristan. Just give me a little time to think about all of this, okay."

"Okay, Harry," Tristan reluctantly agreed. However, as much as he wanted an answer now, he was also relieved that it was out in the open now. His chest felt ten times lighter now that Harry knew how he really felt about him. Now he could hope that Harry could return his feelings.

XxX

Harry walked to the dining hall in a daze. He'd barely slept last night after Tristan's shocking confession. Lost in the maddening whirl of his thoughts, he almost walked into the door. Fortunately, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop before he could do so, though.

"Are you alright, Harry? You seem a little out of it today."

Harry looked up at the voice and saw Zane staring at him in concern. "I'm fine. I've just got a lot to think about."

Zane gave him a shrewd look and smirked slightly. "Either Tristan or Zenith confessed, didn't they?"

Harry gaped at the Incubus in shock. "How did you-? You knew they both liked me, too?"

Zane just snickered at the spluttering teen. "Harry, everyone could see how much they liked you. You were the only one completely oblivious to it. It was very entertaining to watch, I'll tell you that much."

Harry blushed and rubbed his burning cheeks. "Merlin, I feel like such an idiot. I was totally blindsided when Tristan told me he wanted to be my mate. With all that's been going on in my life lately, I honestly hadn't given the idea of having a mate a single thought."

"You have to be the only teenage male in the school who doesn't think about it," said Zane dryly, tugging lightly on one of Harry's ears.

Harry blushed again and scowled at the Incubus. "Well, excuse me for not being sexually driven like the rest of you animals. This is the first year I've had where I haven't had to deal with Voldemort or his Death Eaters or Death Eater children trying to kill me. I've been too busy trying to stay alive to worry about sex. I only had my first kiss this past year, and quite honestly, it didn't impress me all that much."

"You just didn't have the right partner. I can show you the difference," Zane offered, leering slightly at the Kitiara.

Harry stared at him blankly for a moment before grimacing slightly. "I'll pass, thanks. You're like a big brother to me."

Zane laughed softly and ruffled Harry's hair. "You're much cuter than my actual younger brother. Maybe my parents will let me trade him for you."

"I'm afraid you're out of luck on that account. Remus is rather attached to me," said Harry teasingly. "Werewolves are possessive of their cubs, or kits in my case, you know." He suddenly grinned impishly at the Incubus. "So tell me about your betrothed. What's she like?"

"I don't know much about her as we've never met, but I'll tell you what I do know. Vivian Kartelli is a Succubus from Russia. She's only ten at the moment, but we won't be getting married until after I graduate Arcane Academy with a Masters," said Zane.

"But that should only take another three to four years. Isn't that a little young for her to be getting married?" asked Harry.

"If she were anything other than a Succubus, I would probably agree. However, sex demons mature a lot faster than most creatures. She'll probably go into her first heat before she turns twelve," said Zane calmly.

"Are you happy with the arrangement?" asked Harry tentatively.

"You obviously don't know much about Incubi," said Zane wryly.

"Just that you feed through sex," said Harry sheepishly.

"Yes, and if we feed from the same person too often, we can completely drain their life away. That, unfortunately, makes fidelity impossible, especially between two creatures of like nature," said Zane. Seeing the dawning realisation on Harry's face, Zane nodded. "Exactly. The marriage is merely a formality . Both Vivian and I will require lovers outside the marriage to feed on to keep from draining each other."

"Oh, I see," said Harry. "So even with Grey…" He trailed off abruptly, deciding he didn't really want to know. It was none of his business. "Never mind. Just forget I said anything."

Zane smiled sadly. "Grey tried to convince me that he was alright with me feeding on others, but I could see how much it hurt him every time he smelled someone else's scent on me. I couldn't stand to see him hurting like that, so I ended the relationship."

"And yet you've remained best friends in spite of all that," said Harry.

"Yeah, we couldn't remain lovers, but we just couldn't stay away from each other altogether, either," said Zane ruefully. He smiled slightly and draped his arm over Harry's shoulder, leading him into the dining hall. "So, little brother, what do you plan to do about Zenith and Tristan? Personally, I say you should thoroughly enjoy them both before making a decision. You wouldn't want to make a commitment before knowing whether or not they can fully satisfy you in bed."

"Zane!" hissed Harry, blushing furiously.

Zane just snickered at Harry's reaction. It was so much fun making the little kit blush like that.

XxX

Bill walked into the cottage with a weary sigh. The past few days had been absently gruelling as they tried to finish the dig in time for the holidays. Unfortunately, they still had quite a bit to do before they were done, and he only had one day off before he had to be back at the dig site. First order of business, though, was a long, hot shower to wash the grit and grime he'd accumulated on his sweaty body. The next thing he planned to do was sleep.

However, as he stepped inside, Bill's plans were completely forgotten. What the hell? The living room was brightly decorated with Christmas decorations, and a huge Christmas tree blinked merrily with lights. It wasn't even December yet. Why in Merlin's name was Remus decorating the house for the holidays now?

Bill headed upstairs, looking for the manic werewolf, and found him in Harry's room, enlarging the room and adding two extra beds. "What are you doing?"

Remus jumped in surprise and turned to face Bill with a bright smile. "Harry asked if Zenith and Tristan could spend the holidays here, so I'm adding some extra beds for them."

Bill raised a brow at that statement. "Are you sure you want to put those three in a room together?"

Remus frowned slightly. "Why wouldn't I? They're Harry's friends."

Bill shook his head in exasperation. He'd only met them once, and even he could see how they felt about Harry. "Well, I guess Harry has to grow up and become a man sometime."

Remus smirked at the redhead. "Not in this house, he won't. I spelled the room to dump cold water on those two if they tried anything with my kit."

"Ah, so you did notice," said Bill with a grin.

"I'd have to be dead not to," said Remus dryly. "I could smell it a mile away every time either of them got near Harry."

"What about the blond? Grey, was it?" asked Bill curiously. "You're not worried about him sniffing around Harry?"

"Nope," said Remus firmly. "That boy was lusting after someone entirely different. I think he was only chasing after Harry to make that person jealous. Fortunately, Harry didn't take him seriously because if he'd hurt my kit playing with his feelings like that, I would have skinned him alive and used his pelt as a rug."

'Okay, never hurt Harry and let the werewolf find out about it,' thought Bill nervously. He liked his skin right where it was. "Why are you decorating now, though? It's not even December yet."

"But there's so much to do," said Remus quickly. "I have to enlarge all the bedrooms and add beds to accommodate everyone. I figured I would put the twins and Ron in a bedroom, Hermione and Ginny in a room, your parents in a room, and you, me, and Charlie in a room."

"What about Percy?" asked Bill curiously.

"According to your mother, Percy is still refusing to acknowledge his family as long as they are associating with Harry. Therefore, he will not be spending the holidays with us," said Remus.

Bill sighed wearily. "I can't believe Percy is still being such a prat."

Remus snorted softly. "Prat is the kindest name I could come up with for him. How dare he treat my kit like that! Harry's done nothing but help your family, and he acts like Harry's the enemy. If I ever get my hands on that tosser, he'll beg for the chance to apologise to my kit before I'm done."

Bill shook his head in amusement. An overprotective Moony was an entertaining sight. "Well, I'll leave the arrangements to you, then. I am going to take a nice long shower and an even longer nap. I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, I'll handle the arrangements. You get some rest," said Remus softly. "When do you have to go back?"

"The day after tomorrow," sighed Bill. "Hopefully, we'll be done within the next two weeks. If we can swing that, I'll have at least two months free."

Remus smiled at that thought. It would be nice to have Bill around again. For the last month and a half, he was lucky to see the redhead once a week, and that was usually only long enough for Bill to shower, eat, and sleep "That's good. Your mother will probably storm out to the dig site and drag you back by your ear if don't manage to finish in time."

Bill paled slightly. "And she would, too."

"Maybe she'll be too busy cooing over Harry and his prospective mates to notice," Remus offered helpfully.

"I can always hope," said Bill drolly.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Harry chased after his kits in his fox form as they raced through the forest. As much as he hated to admit it, he was being a bit cowardly and hiding from Tristan and Zenith. He desperately needed time to think things over, and he just couldn't do that around them. Besides, it was a lovely day today, and he hadn't had a chance to truly relax and have fun since he'd started the school term.

A bush to their right rustled, and a plump brown rabbit shot from the foliage. Shadow and Eclipse yipped excitedly and took off after the rabbit. Harry shook his head and shifted back to his human form. He was worn out from all the running and needed a break. Wiping his sweaty brow, he sat down at the base of a tree to cool down and catch his breath. Unfortunately, his much needed break didn't last nearly long enough.

A twig snapped to his right, and Harry quickly got to his feet, muscles tense and ready to move. He edged cautiously around the tree only to blink in shock as the forest abruptly turned into his bedroom at the Dursley's. Almost as soon as he recognised his surroundings, he heard thundering footsteps heading up the stairs and shivered in fear. How the hell did he end up back here? Had Dumbledore found him and brought him back?

Harry forcibly tried to calm himself. He couldn't afford to give into panic and fear right now. He had to find a way to escape this room before his uncle appeared. He rushed toward the barred window and raised his hand to blast the metal away, but it was too late. The bedroom door slammed open with a loud crash, and Vernon Dursley stood menacingly in the doorway.

Vernon grinned maliciously at the teen and began pulling his belt off, folding the thick material and slapping it against his palm with a sharp crack. "So you're finally back, boy. Now it's time for some fun."

Harry stared at the hulking man in horrified silence. No, this couldn't be happening. The bastard would really kill him this time. As Vernon stalked toward him, Harry stumbled back with a fearful whimper, cowering against the wall. However, the air around him began to crackle with electricity in response to his overwhelming fear, surrounding him like a supercharged blanket.. The charged air raised the hairs on his arm, pulling Harry out of his fear-induced haze, and he straightened with a determined scowl. He refused to be a victim to this man any longer. He was a Kitiara, and he didn't need a wand to kick his arse.

However, before he could actually follow through with that determination, the room suddenly changed, and Harry found himself back in the Department of Mysteries. He saw Neville, Luna, and Ginny fighting several Death Eaters and frowned in bemusement. What in Merlin's name was going on? A flash of red light sped toward him, and he instinctively ducked. He quickly whirled around, though, when he heard a shout of surprise. Harry could only watch in horror as Sirius was once again hit with a spell, causing him to fly back through the Veil of Death.

A hot wave of fury swept through him, and flames licked across his skin. There was no way this could be real. Sirius was dead. Someone had to be messing with his head or something. Harry thrust his hands out, and fire shot from his fingertips, covering the entire room with fiercely burning flames. Almost immediately, the Ministry scene disappeared, revealing Claudius Winters as he frantically tried to extinguish the flames surrounding him. Harry banished the fire with a careless wave of his hand and stalked toward the demon, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

"What the hell are you playing at, Winters? Why did you attack me?"

"You attacked my betrothed," snarled Claudius, pulling away from the brunet's hold..

Harry scowled at the accusation. "What are you talking about? I haven't attacked anyone."

"Liar!" snarled Claudius angrily. "Sheila told me what you did to her. She told me that you attacked her, that if the school nurse hadn't gotten there in time, she would have lost her hand because of what you did."

"I see," said Harry softly. "And did she tell you that she attacked me first? Did she tell you that she slammed me against the wall and threatened me because of some preconceived notion that I have designs on her precious Octavius?"

Claudius growled softly and glared at Harry. "You're lying."

Harry sighed and stared steadily at the angry demon. "You know perfectly well that I'm not. It's true that I damaged her hand, but the school nurse didn't heal her. I came to the infirmary and healed the damage I had caused. Ask Zenith if you don't believe me. He was there. Or ask the nurse, if you must. She can easily tell you that she couldn't heal Sheila."

Claudius snarled in fury. That bitch had lied to him and played him for a fool. He should have known she was up to something when she told him that story. The only time she ever talked to him these days was when she wanted something. Ever since she'd heard about the betrothal contract between her and the Winters heir, she'd latched onto Octavius and refused to let go.

An evil smile curled Claudius' lips. Wouldn't she be devastated to learn that Octavius was not the Winters heir? It was high time she learned the reality of her situation, and he was looking forward to shoving it in her face. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked back toward the castle. He had a fire demon to bring to heel.

XxX

Sheila grinned smugly to herself. She'd seen Claudius follow that little Kitiara out into the forest fifteen minutes ago. After Zenith's blunt warning, she wasn't stupid enough to go after the little kit herself, but the Illusion demon was the perfect scapegoat for her plans. He was remarkably easy to manipulate. He was like a lovesick puppy around her. All she had to do was spin her little tale, and Claudius was chomping at the bit to defend her precious honour. Now all she had to do was sit back and wait for that little brat to get what was coming to him.

Sheila suddenly sat up straight, smirking triumphantly when she saw Claudius walk out of the forest with a smug smile on his face. She couldn't wait to hear what he'd done to the pesky teen. But she had to do this carefully. It wouldn't do for Claudius to find out just how much she'd manipulated him. Men were so touchy about things like that.

It didn't take long for Claudius to find her. When he walked up to her, Sheila smiled sweetly at him. "Claudius, where have you been all morning? I've been looking all over for you."

"I went for a walk in the forest. The weather's nice today," said Claudius calmly. He pulled out a chair and sat down with a nonchalant shrug..

"Oh? Did you have fun?" asked Sheila with feigned curiosity. 'Tell me what I want to know, damn it,' she snarled silently to herself. She wanted to know what Claudius did to the brat, not engage in meaningless small talk.

Claudius flashed her a wicked grin. "Of course, I did. I managed to trap a helpless kit in one of my snares. His whimpers of fear were absolutely delightful."

Sheila sighed wistfully. She wished she could have been there to see that. "Is the kit still alive, or did you put him out of his misery?" She saw the shadows writhe and coil behind Claudius and hid a smile. Octavius was obviously listening to the conversation, and he didn't like what he was hearing. That would teach her betrothed to chase after others while she still breathed.

The shadows suddenly parted, and Octavius stepped into the room with a cold glare on his face. "Claudius, a word."

Claudius tensed slightly at his brother's presence until he saw the pleased little smile curling Sheila's lips. All he had to do now was a little fast talking to keep Octavius from killing him, and then they could plan their revenge against the manipulative little bitch. "Sure thing, Octavius." He calmly allowed Octavius to pull him through the shadows until they reached the Shadow demon's bedroom.

Octavius immediately slammed Claudius against the wall with a hand at his brother's throat. "If you have hurt Harry in any way, I will destroy you, brother or not."

"I almost did," Claudius admitted softly. "Sheila told me he attacked her, and I wanted to pay him in kind. The little kit is stronger than he looks, though. He broke through my illusion and set me on fire in the process."

"I told you not to touch him at all," growled Octavius angrily.

"Well, technically, I didn't lay a finger on him," said Claudius. "Sheila, however, can't say the same. She attacked him for supposedly chasing after her man, and she wasn't referring to me when she said it."

"Then perhaps you should set her straight," snapped Octavius. "I'm tired of the wench clinging to me like she owns me. She's your problem, not mine."

Claudius snorted derisively. "I never wanted her in the first place. This was all father's doing. You're just lucky that your mother named you the Ravynstaff heir before she died and that father has no say in the matter. I am not that fortunate. I'm stuck with the annoying bitch."

"If you dislike her so much, why did you even care if Harry attacked her?" asked Octavius derisively.

"She's still my betrothed, and it is my duty to defend her," sighed Claudius. He remembered something he'd heard that morning and flashed his brother a smug smirk. "I heard something interesting this morning concerning that little kit you like so much."

Octavius raised an inquiring brow. Claudius just grinned, almost rubbing his hands in anticipation of the impending fireworks. "It seems that Tristan Hayward and Zenith Waverly both confessed their intentions to the boy last night. They're even spending the holidays with the kit, presumably to ask his guardian for permission to court him."

Octavius scowled at the news. The holiday break was only two weeks away. If there was just a way... That thought brought a devious smirk to his lips. All he needed to do was shadow mark the kit, and he would be able to find the brunet anywhere in the world. Not even the strongest ward would be able to stop him simply because shadows existed everywhere.

Claudius rolled his eyes. "You obviously have something planned, so I'll just be leaving then. I have a fire demon to bring to heel."

"So you're finally going to tell her just how hopeless her fawning over me truly is?" asked Octavius mockingly.

"That, dear brother, is only the beginning," said Claudius. "It's obvious she never read the betrothal contract. Won't she be devastated to know just how much power I have over her future. It's only by my benevolence that she is still attending Arcane Academy."

Octavius smirked at his brother and opened the door with a flick of his wrist. "You have fun with that. I, however, have a Kitiara to track down." As Claudius walked out of the room, Octavius shut the door and warded his room before stepping back into the shadows.

XxX

Sheila looked up in surprise and disappointment when Claudius walked back into the room without a single scratch on him. With as angry as Octavius had looked, she'd honestly expected the shadow demon to kill his brother in a fit of rage. It was a pity he didn't. Now she had to deal with the lovesick fool.

"What did Octavius want?"she asked casually.

Claudius ignored the question and asked one of his own. "Did you ever read the betrothal contract you signed?"

Sheila frowned at Claudius. "Why do you ask?" she asked suspiciously.

Claudius just smirked at her. "You really should have read the contract before you signed it."

Sheila stared at him with a feeling of deep foreboding. "What are you getting at, Claudius?"

Claudius slowly pulled a sealed scroll out of his bag and set on the table. He broke the seal and rolled out the paper before pushing it toward Sheila. "Perhaps you should do so now."

Sheila stared at the scroll in horror. "Why do you have that?" she asked numbly.

"This is my copy of the contract, of course," said Claudius mockingly. "You would know that if you'd bothered to read the contract before now."

"No, that's impossible," said Sheila in denial. "I'm betrothed to the Winters heir, to Octavius. The eldest son is always the heir."

Claudius smirked at Sheila. "Yes, that is usually true. However, although Octavius is older than me, he is my father's illegitimate child and therefore unable to be named heir as long as I still draw breath."

Sheila quickly snatched up the scroll and started reading, eyes widening the further she read. When she finally reached the bottom of the contract and saw the two names signed, she closed her eyes in resignation. She really was betrothed to Claudius. How could she have been so stupid? She'd been so certain that Octavius was the Winters heir that she hadn't bothered to read the contract, and now she was going to pay for that oversight.

"The betrothal contract was signed almost six months ago. Why haven't you said anything before now?" asked Sheila through clenched teeth.

Claudius raised a brow and smirked at her. "I told you that you were wasting your time with Octavius, but you didn't believe me. You were absolutely convinced that he was your betrothed, and you would hear nothing else. Besides, it was entertaining to see Octavius' reaction every time you called him Octa-baby."

"So why bring it up now?" asked Sheila coldly.

Claudius flashed her a feral smile. "Because you made the mistake of trying to manipulate me."

"I don't know what you mean," sneered Sheila, muscles tensing in fear.

"Just so you know, the Potter boy is alive and well. He's quite the feisty little kit, isn't he?" mused Claudius. "Of course, you would know all about that from personal experience, considering the fact that he froze your hand for attacking him last night."

Sheila scowled at Claudius. "Fine! I attacked the little brat and got frostbite for my efforts. And then that damn Dracken threatened me if I went after the pest again."

"So you tried to manipulate me into doing your dirty work," Claudius concluded. "Unfortunately for you, the 'pest' is a powerful little bugger, and he broke my illusions with ease."

"So what do you plan to do to me?" asked Sheila calmly.

"Nothing," said Claudius. "I figure that the knowledge that Octavius is forever out of your reach is punishment enough."

Sheila flinched slightly at the blunt statement. That was certainly true enough. All of her dreams for the future had just burned to ashes in front of her. She wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but she had only herself to blame. It was her impulsiveness that had gotten her into this mess, and she would now have to pay the price for that recklessness.

Claudius snickered at the dismay written all over Sheila's face. "You act like you're heading to your execution."

"Aren't I?" asked Sheila heatedly. "According to that contract, you have absolute control over me, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"That is true," Claudius agreed. "But do you really think I would be so cruel to you?"

"Yes," said Sheila bluntly.

Claudius smirked at her answer. "You know me too well, my dear."

XxX

Octavius stepped out of the shadows just inside the forest and saw Harry heading toward the castle with his two kits bounding excitedly around his feet. As the brunet neared the edge of the forest, Octavius stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Harry yelped softly in surprise at his abrupt appearance and tensed warily.

"Hello, little kit. I have a request to ask of you."

Harry stared at the Shadow demon blankly for a moment before tilting his head curiously. "What is it?"

"My brother has informed me that the weather faerie and the Dracken are spending the holidays with you in order to request permission from your guardian to formally court you. I would like the same opportunity," said Octavius calmly.

Harry could only gape at the demon in shock. "W-What?"

"I would like to spend the holidays with you so that I may ask your guardian's permission to formally court you," Octavius calmly repeated.

"Why? You barely know me," asked Harry in bemusement.

"I know enough," said Octavius. "The rest can be learned during the courting period."

"I-I'll have to think about it," said Harry nervously.

"Very well. I will give you a week," said Octavius. He suddenly stepped forward and cupped the back of Harry's head, tilting his face up. Before the brunet could protest his actions, Octavius leaned down and pressed his lips against Harry's. When the green-eyed teen gasped in surprise, the demon quickly deepened the kiss, exploring the moist cavern of Harry's mouth. Slowly, the brunet began to timidly respond to the kiss.

While Harry was thoroughly distracted with the kiss, Octavius commanded a nearby shadow to wrap around Harry's left ankle and seep painlessly into the skin, leaving a small black mark in the shape of a raven. With the shadow marking complete, Octavius reluctantly ended the kiss and stepped back from the brunet. Seeing the brunet's dazed expression and kiss-swollen lips, however, sorely tempted his willpower.

Harry slowly blinked out of his kiss induced haze and blushed fiercely. He couldn't believe he'd just let Octavius kiss him like that. But damn was that kiss much better than that mockery of a kiss he'd shared with Cho.

Harry nervously cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, let you know something in a week then." Without another word, Harry practically ran back to the castle.

Octavius smirked at his retreating back. "You can run for now, little kit." His mission was now complete. Even if Harry refused his request, he would still be able to find the cute little kit no matter where he went.

XxX

Harry ran into the castle and headed straight to his room. To his surprise, Zenith and Tristan were both in the room, having a heated discussion. "Hey, guys. What's going on?"

Zenith and Tristan immediately stopped talking and turned to face Harry. Zenith smiled at the brunet and stepped toward him only to stop short with a dark scowl on his face. "Why do you have Octavius' scent all over you, Harry?"

"What do you mean he has that bastard's scent all over him?" Tristan demanded. He scowled at Harry and said, "Well?"

Harry sighed softly. Sometimes Tristan could be so overbearing. "I had an eventful morning. How was your morning?" he asked, ignoring the faerie's demands at the moment.

Zenith raised an eyebrow at the evasion but answered anyway. "My morning has been rather quiet. What happened to make your morning so eventful?"

Harry smiled at the Dracken. At least one of them could hold a rational conversation. "Well, I went for a walk in the forest with Eclipse and Shadow."

"Where are they then?" Tristan interrupted.

Harry once again ignored him and continued his tale. "But they ran off, chasing after a rabbit. Not long after that, I saw Claudius Winters." He deliberately left out the illusions forced on him because he really didn't want to deal with an irate Tristan at the moment. Of course, that hop was in vain because the very mention of the demon was enough to raise Tristan's hackles.

"What the hell did he want?" asked Tristan angrily.

"He wanted to ask me about the altercation between Sheila and me," Harry calmly explained.

Zenith, however, was not only intelligent but also observant, and he read underneath the calm statement. Claudius had obviously confronted Harry about Sheila's attack, most likely using his illusions on the Kitiara. So while Harry wasn't physically hurt by Claudius, there was a good chance he was hurt emotionally because Claudius was an expert at finding a person's weakness and exploiting it mercilessly.

"After I explained what had happened, he went back to the castle. I stayed a few more minutes, waiting for my kits to return, but they were having too much fun outside, so I decided to return to the castle without them. Octavius was waiting for me at the edge of the forest," said Harry, already feeling a headache from the impending explosion he just knew was about to happen.

"What did he want?" asked Zenith softly.

Harry sighed and reluctantly answered. "He asked to spend the holidays with me so that he could ask Remus permission to formally court me."

"That damn bastard!" snarled Tristan angrily. He glared at Harry. "You told him no, right?"

Harry stared at him steadily and replied, "I told him I would give him an answer in a week."

Tristan looked at Harry in shock before his face became a blank mask. "I see. And what do you intend to tell him?"

Harry shrugged slightly. "I don't know yet."

Tristan growled angrily and stormed out of the room. Harry's ears drooped sadly at the faerie's absence. Perhaps he should have outright refused Octavius' request. However, to be perfectly honest, he wanted to get to know Octavius better. If nothing else, the Shadow Demon could be a good friend and ally.

"Just ignore him, Harry," said Zenith softly, ruffling the brunet's hair. "He's just being a jealous, possessive prick."

Harry snorted softly at the comment. "What do you think I should do, Zenith?"

"I think you should do what your heart is telling you to do," Zenith replied. "If you want to allow Octavius to court you, then you should do it."

"You really don't mind?" asked Harry hesitantly.

Zenith smiled ruefully at the brunet. "Why should I? I have every intention of asking your guardian for permission to court you, as well. Tristan, too, I think."

"What exactly does a formal courtship entail?" asked Harry curiously. "I don't remember hearing anything about them at Hogwarts."

"You wouldn't," said Zenith. "Wizards don't practise courtships anymore. They've been too influenced by muggles to condone them."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Well, courtships generally have two or more people courting the same person. The courtship usually lasts anywhere between six months to a year, and the suitors take this time to get to know and woo their potential mate," said Zenith.

"Why would wizards have a problem with it then? It sounds just like dating someone," asked Harry in bemusement.

"I think it has more to do with the multiple partner issue than anything else," said Zenith wryly. "But they seem to have forgotten that sex is forbidden during the courtship period."

"Forbidden? Why?" asked Harry.

"Well, I say that, but it's only penetrative sex that is forbidden," said Zenith. At the confused look on Harry's face, Zenith explained in more detail. "When a courtship begins, monitoring spells are placed on all parties involved to verify sexual status. For example, if you enter the courtship as a virgin, you must still be a virgin when the courtship ends. It's designed to keep anyone from passing off an illegitimate child on someone else."

"Oh. What happens if someone does have sex during the courtship?" asked Harry.

"The courtship ends, and the two involved are forced to marry," said Zenith.

"That's a little harsh. What if they don't want to get married?" asked Harry grimly.

"Then they shouldn't enter a formal courtship," said Zenith ruefully.

"Or what if the sex isn't consensual? Will they still force them into marriage?" asked Harry worriedly. If that were the case, he refused to even consider the idea.

"No, if that were to happen, then the culprit is imprisoned or put to death, depending on their specific laws," said Zenith. "However, the courtship will still be discontinued until it is confirmed that no child is a result of the sexual encounter. Don't worry, though. There hasn't been a case of that happening in over a hundred and fifty years."

"Things were so much simpler when I was just a wizard," sighed Harry.

Zenith just laughed softly at the sighed comment. "But look at how much you would have missed if you were still just a wizard."

"Yeah, I would miss Grey and Zane too much to go back to that," said Harry teasingly.

"You would miss me and Tristan, too, and you know it," said Zenith easily.

"Perhaps," Harry agreed with a soft smile.

"Harry, just remember that the courtship is designed to give you the freedom to learn as much about your suitors as possible without being pressured for anything more," said Zenith gently. "Don't let Tristan's attitude sway you from accepting Octavius' suit if you wish to allow him to court you. If he is serious about courting you, he will just have to accept your decision and use his own actions to prove himself to be the best mate for you. I certainly intend to do so."

Harry smiled brightly at the dragon demon. "Thanks, Zenith."

"Any time, Harry," said Zenith warmly. "


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Harry stood in the shower, just letting the hot water rain down on him. Five days had passed since Octavius had requested to join him for the holidays, and he still wasn't quite sure what answer he planned to give the shadow demon. Tristan barely spoke to him anymore, and that hurt him more than anything. He'd honestly thought that Tristan was fist and foremost his friend. Apparently not. And if Tristan thought giving him the silent treatment would make him automatically turn Octavius down, he'd best think again. Harry absolutely refused to allow himself to be manipulated like that.

Harry sighed and reached for the shampoo, cursing softly when the bottle slipped through his slick fingers and fell on his foot. He knelt down to pick up the bottle when a flash of black caught his eye. He looked closer and saw a small black mark on the back of his left foot in the shape of a raven. And then to his surprise, the raven moved, shooting up the back of his leg and out of sight. Harry growled angrily and hurriedly finished his shower. There was only one person who'd had the opportunity to get close enough to mark him like that, and that person was Octavius Winters.

Pulling on his clothes with angry, jerky motions, Harry stormed out of his room once he was dressed. He had a shadow demon to find. How dare that bastard mark him without his consent? He was not some little pet to be branded like this.

When Harry finally reached the Entrance Hall, he saw Claudius heading toward the stairs and pounced on the illusion demon. Almost slamming the other teen against the wall, he growled, "Where is Octavius?"

Claudius yelped in surprise as his back hit the wall. He saw the raw fury in Harry's eyes and hurriedly said, "He's in the dining hall." He sighed in relief when Harry immediately released him and turned to leave. However, he just couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. "So what did he do to piss you off so badly?"

Harry just ignored the question and stormed into the dining hall. Claudius refused to miss any of the drama, though, and followed on his heels like an eager little puppy. Harry saw Octavius immediately and stalked over to the shadow demon. Octavius saw him coming and started to stand only to fly backward, hitting the floor hard when Harry punched him in the jaw.

"You bloody bastard," hissed Harry angrily. "Remove it!"

"Remove what?" asked Octavius, probing his jaw gently. Damn, for such a little guy, Harry had a mean right hook.

"Are you seriously going to try to lie to me?" asked Harry incredulously. He glared down at Octavius. "Remove that bloody brand you put on me. And don't even try to deny doing it. You're the only one who has had even the slightest opportunity to do so. I want it gone now."

Octavius scowled and flicked his fingers, pulling the shadow from Harry's body. The shadowy raven flapped its wings once and melded in with the rest of the shadows in the room. "There, it's gone."

Harry leaned down and grabbed the front Octavius' shirt, pulling the demon toward him until their noses were almost touching. "And to think I was almost foolish enough to give you a chance." With a cold glare, Harry shoved Octavius away from him and stepped away from the demon. "If you haven't figured it out already, the answer is no. Find some other poor sod to manipulate." Harry then stalked out of the room, leaving a stunned Octavius in the floor to deal with the stares and whispers.

"Well, brother, you certainly fucked up," said Claudius bluntly. "What will you do now?"

Octavius climbed to his feet with a dark scowl toward his brother. Brushing the dirt off his trousers, he said, "I intend to change his mind, of course." With that said, he calmly walked into the shadows, searching the darkness for the enraged kit. He found the brunet on the sixth floor dorm corridor and hurried to cut off his prey's escape. That damn Dracken had somehow managed to ward Harry's room, so that he couldn't enter even with his marking on the boy.

Stepping out of the shadows directly in front of Harry, Octavius was immediately rocked back by another punch to the face. "Damn it, will you stop hitting me?"

"Will you stop stalking me?" asked Harry irritably. "I gave you an answer, now leave me alone."

"I'm sorry, alright," said Octavius with an exasperated sigh. "I only did it because I didn't think you would really give me a chance. I figured Hayward, at least, would do his best to convince you that I was evil incarnate or something."

"That was not the way to go about convincing me otherwise," snapped Harry.

"I'm sorry," Octavius repeated softly. "That's not the only reason I did it, though." At Harry's darkening expression, he hastened to explain. "I put it there so that I would be able to find you immediately if something were to happen no matter where you were."

Harry sighed softly. He didn't like what Octavius had done, and he certainly didn't like how the demon had gone about doing so, but he could see that the demon was sincere in his apology. "Fine, I accept your apology."

"And the courtship?" asked Octavius a bit hesitantly.

"I will allow it," said Harry. "However, if you do anything to betray the trust I've just given you, that little punch to the jaw will seem like a mere tickle."

Octavius smirked at the threat. "I actually believe you could do it."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Go away. I have homework to finish, and you're in the way."

Octavius just grinned and stepped back into the shadows. Harry sighed once more and shook his head. He really hoped he didn't come to regret his decision about Octavius. Maybe he was too trusting, but there was a little voice inside of him telling him that the shadow demon could eventually be a valuable friend and possible mate given enough time and care.

Tristan was actually in their room when Harry walked in, reading on his bed. Considering the silence from the past few days, Harry ignored the faerie and grabbed his bag, preparing to leave once more. As he headed toward the door, though, Tristan grabbed him by the arm.

"Harry, wait."

Harry pulled his arm free with a scowl, dropping his bag in the process. "Now you want to talk? You've ignored me for the last four days. Why bother now?"

Tristan just scowled back at him. "Oh, don't act so offended. You did the same damn thing after I told you how I felt. I needed time to think without distractions."

"Fair enough," said Harry, leaning back against the door. "What did you want to talk about?"

"First of all, I don't like Octavius, and I certainly don't trust the bastard. However, I plan to ask your guardian for permission to court you regardless of whether or not Octavius is accepted as a suitor," said Tristan seriously.

Harry's ears perked up, and his tail waved excitedly behind him. "I'm glad. I've missed you lately." He grinned widely at the faerie. "If it makes you feel better, I punched Octavius this morning."

Tristan gaped at Harry in surprise. "You punched him? For what?" He shook his head and snickered. "Oh, who cares why you did it. I just wish I could have been there to see it."

"The sneaky bastard marked me without my permission," said Harry dryly. "Needless to say, when I found the marking, I got a little angry. I pretty much stormed down to the dining hall and punched him in front of everybody."

"Does that mean you refused his request to court you?" asked Tristan hopefully.

Harry raised a brow at the redhead and shook his head, snorting softly at the look of disappointment that crossed Tristan's face. "While not exactly satisfactory, his reasons for marking me were somewhat understandable. So I decided to give him one more chance."

Tristan smirked at Harry. "Then I have nothing to worry about. The bastard's bound to screw up again soon, leaving the field open for me and Zenith."

Harry rolled his eyes. Trust Tristan to look at it that way. He pushed away from the door and picked up his bag. "Well, I'm glad we cleared things up, but I have to meet Zenith in the library. I'll see you at lunch."

However, before he could actually turn to leave, Tristan trapped him against the door, arms braced on either side of his head. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"And what would that be?" asked Harry, tilting his head thoughtfully.

Tristan smirked at the brunet. "We made up, but we forgot the kiss." He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against Harry's, nipping teasingly at the brunet's lips. When Harry's lips parted in a soft gasp, the redhead swept his tongue past the parted lips, leisurely exploring the moist cavern.

Harry relaxed into the embrace. This kiss was a far cry from the passionate, forceful kiss Octavius had given him, but he had to admit that he enjoyed the light, teasing quality of the kiss just as much as he had the other one.

Tristan finally drew back with a small smile. "Now that's the proper way to make up."

"I'll remember that," said Harry dryly. He slipped out of Tristan's embrace and opened the door. "Well, Zenith's probably wondering where I am by now. I'll see you later, Tristan." Before Tristan could distract him any further, Harry quickly left the room and hurried toward the library. As he expected, Zenith was already there, tapping his fingers on the table with a bored look on his face. "Sorry I'm late. Tristan finally decided to stop being an arse and wanted to talk."

Zenith smiled slightly and shook his head. "It's fine. I was running a little late myself." He flashed a smirk toward Harry. "I must say that this morning's breakfast was the most entertaining I've seen in years."

Harry blushed at that comment. "You saw that?"

Zenith snickered softly. "Harry, most of the school saw that. The great Octavius Winters knocked on his arse by a little sixth year transfer. It's all I've heard today."

Harry groaned and covered his face.

"I'm curious, though," Zenith continued blithely. "What exactly did Octavius do to provoke that kind of reaction?"

"He used his shadows to mark me," sighed Harry.

Zenith growled softly. "I knew I smelled his scent more strongly than I should. That damn bastard, trying to claim you without courting you first." He paused and looked at Harry curiously. "Are you still going to allow him to court you after that?"

"I've allowed him one more chance," said Harry. "He claims that he only marked me because he was afraid you and Tristan would convince me not to allow him to participate in the courtship. Well, that and as a sort of locating device in case I'm in trouble."

"In other words, he was going to use it to find you over the holidays so that he could ask anyway," Zenith concluded.

"Yep," said Harry wryly. "It's kinda cute, though, in a stalkerish kind of way. I'm a little flattered that he would go to such lengths to pursue me. However, if it happens again, he won't get another chance. I'm a person, not a possession, and I expect to be treated as such." He scowled at the mere idea.

"So you and Tristan finally made up," said Zenith, trying to lighten Harry's darkening mood. He was surprised when the brunet blushed, though. "And more, apparently. I'm beginning to feel a little left out here. When do I get my kiss?"

Harry grinned impishly and leaned across the table, kissing Zenith on his forehead. "Better now?" Before he could move back, though, Zenith grabbed the back of his head and pressed their lips together, coaxing Harry's lips apart with determined sweeps of his tongue. When Harry parted his lips to allow his entrance, Zenith deepened the kiss, pulling a soft moan from the brunet.

Harry just melted into the kiss. His lips tingled with every movement of Zenith's lips against his. And when Zenith finally broke the kiss for some much needed air, Harry could only stare at the Dracken dazedly.

Zenith smirked at the dazed look on Harry's face and kissed him gently on the tip of his nose. "Now that was a proper kiss, Harry."

"I'll say," said Harry softly. All Harry could think at that point was that if he got to experience more of those kinds of kisses, he could deal with whole courtship thing.

XxX

Harry practically vibrated with energy as he hurriedly packed his trunk. It was the first day of Christmas holidays, and he was going home today. In fact, the portkey was scheduled to leave in two hours, and he couldn't wait. He would finally get to see Ron and Hermione again. Of course, they weren't going to be coming to the cottage for another week because Hogwarts winter break was a little shorter than Arcane Academy's break, but he was still excited to see them.

Tristan just watched Harry with an amused smile on his face. He was already packed and ready to go, so he was helping Harry with his packing. "You're going to vibrate right out of your skin if you don't calm down a bit, Harry."

"I can't help it," said Harry with a small pout. "I haven't seen Ron and Hermione in ages."

"Well, you'll get to spend three whole weeks catching up," said Tristan wryly. "For now, though, you need to finish packing before we miss our portkey."

Harry checked the time and gasped in surprise. He only had forty-five more minutes to finish. He started just throwing things haphazardly in his trunk, but Tristan gently pushed him out of the way. With a softly muttered spell and flick of his wrist, Harry's clothes folded themselves neatly. Another wave his hand, and Harry's books and the gifts he'd already bought were packed, as well.

"Is there anything else that needs to be packed?" asked Tristan.

Harry grinned and shook his head. "Nope. I definitely need to learn those spells, though." He closed and shrank the trunk, tucking it into his pocket. "Okay, I'm ready whenever you are. Zenith and Octavius are meeting us in the Entrance Hall in..." He checked the time again and cursed softly. "Ten minutes. Let's go." Harry quickly scooped Shadow and Eclipse into his arms and hurried out the door.

Octavius and Zenith were waiting for them when they finally made it to the Entrance Hall, and they only had three minutes until the portkey was scheduled to activate. Harry smiled apologetically and said, "Sorry we're late. I was having trouble packing this morning."

Zenith smirked knowingly at the brunet. "You don't know any household charms do you?"

Harry flushed guiltily. He ignored the question and asked one of his own. "Where's the portkey? We've got one minute left."

"Right here," said Zenith, pulling it out of his pocket. He held it out for everyone to touch when someone crashed into him, sending him to the floor and the portkey flying out of his hand.

Tristan lunged for the portkey, trying to catch it, but it disappeared before he could reach it. He saw Harry staring at the space where it had been before the kit turned to the culprit with a growl. However, the growl turned into a snarl when he saw Claudius helping Zenith to his feet.

"Octavius, I'm glad I caught you before you left. Dad sent me a letter and asked me to tell you that he expects you to spend Christmas Day with the family," said Claudius, oblivious to the furious Kitiara behind him.

"Octavius, I'm going to kill your brother," hissed Harry dangerously.

Claudius actually yelped in surprise and quickly hid behind his brother. "Why? What did I do?"

"Your clumsiness made us miss our portkey," snapped Tristan irritably. "And it will take hours to arrange for another."

"Don't worry, Harry," said Zenith reassuringly. "Octavius is a shadow demon, remember. He can transport us through the shadows to anywhere in the world."

"That's right," said Claudius quickly, sighing in relief when Harry visibly relaxed. Jeez, even holding two fox kits, that guy could be downright scary when he was angry.

"Fine, you've delivered your message. I'll even think about obeying his demands. You can go now," said Octavius coolly.

"Gladly," muttered Claudius, skirting around Harry warily as he headed toward the stairs.

"What in the world did you do to the poor boy, Harry. He's terrified of you," said Zenith, lips quirked in amusement.

Harry just shrugged.

Octavius smirked. "He broke through Claudius' illusions and tried to set him on fire."

Tristan winced in sympathy. He knew exactly how that felt.

"Serves him right for attacking Harry in the first place," said Zenith dispassionately.

"Can we just go?" asked Harry irritably. "Remus is probably worried by now."

Octavius nodded and stepped up behind Harry, pulling the brunet against his chest. "You two place a hand on each shoulder." Tristan and Zenith quickly grabbed his shoulders, and Octavius pulled the shadows around them. Once enshrouded in the darkness, Octavius said, "I need to know where we're going, Harry."

"If you can get us to the Egypt Gringotts, I can get us the rest of the way," said Harry softly.

Octavius nodded once more, and a few minutes later, the shadows dispersed, revealing the familiar interior of the bank. To Harry's surprise, he saw Bill and Remus talking to a goblin just a few metres away. His godfather must have come straight here as soon as the portkey appeared without him.

"Moony!" he cried, running toward the werewolf and jumping into his arms.

"Harry!" cried Remus, hugging his kit tightly. "I thought something bad must have happened when that portkey appeared without you. What happened?"

"Octavius' stupid brother knocked the portkey out of Zenith's hands just before it activated," said Harry grumpily.

"Then how did you get here?" asked Remus curiously.

"Octavius is a shadow demon. He brought us here," said Harry. "It was so much better than apparating or portkeys."

Remus looked over at the three teens standing together and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so that's Octavius." He walked over to the teen in question and looked at him appraisingly. The dark haired and eyed teen contrasted greatly with the red-haired, violet-eyed Tristan and the silver-haired, blue-eyed Zenith. "I'm Remus Lupin, Harry's guardian."

Octavius bowed formally. "It is an honour to finally meet you."

Bill walked up to the group and grinned at Harry. "Looking good, Harry."

Harry looked the redhead up and down and grinned impishly. "I could say the same about you, Bill."

Bill laughed and draped his arm around Harry's shoulders. "How about you ditch these guys and run away with me?"

"Tempting, but not tempting enough to deal with a jealous, enraged werewolf," said Harry dryly.

Bill glanced at Remus and snickered at the unimpressed look on said werewolf's face. "Perhaps you're right. Besides, I like my own skin too much to chase after you. Not only would Remy kill me for daring to touch his precious kit, if there was anything left of me, the three behind you would take care of the rest."

"Damn right," muttered Remus to accompanying nods from the other three.

Harry snickered. "Come on, you big flirt. Let's go home. Maybe I can convince Remus to make lasagne for supper. It's the best lasagne ever."

Remus smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "No convincing required, kit. It's already in the oven."

"You're the best, Moony," said Harry happily. He set Shadow and Eclipse down of the ground, petting each of them on the head. "You're excited to be home to, aren't you?" The kits yipped in agreement. "Then lead the way." The kits yipped once more and ran toward the bank door. Harry raced after them, as eager as they were to get home. He opened the door, flashed everyone an impish grin, and changed into his fox form, racing out into the desert with his two familiars.

Bill laughed at the brunet's antics and ushered everyone toward the exit. It was good to see Harry so happy. The last time he'd seen the teen was at the Dursley's, and he didn't ever want to see Harry in that condition. Besides, when Harry was in top form like this, he was amusing as hell.

XxX

Harry tried and failed to keep the blush off his face as Remus sternly told Octavius, Tristan, and Zenith that they had better keep their hands to themselves because they would regret touching his kit under his roof. He blushed even more when Zenith calmly explained that they were there to request Remus' permission to enter into a formal courtship with Harry, so he needn't worry about Harry's virginity at this stage.

Remus finally nodded and said, "You have my permission, but if any of you hurt Harry in any way, you will wish for death. My kit has been through too much already." He then turned and smirked at his blushing charge. "Damn, Harry, you certainly managed to nab the gorgeous ones didn't you."

Harry shrugged. "What can I say? I'm adorable."

He got three nods of agreement from his new suitors.

"So when is everyone else getting here?" asked Harry curiously.

"Saturday morning," said Remus.

Harry blinked in surprise. That was only three days away. "I thought their break didn't start until Wednesday."

"It doesn't," said Remus ruefully. "However, Molly can be quite persuasive when she wants to be, and she convinced Dumbledore to allow them to leave Friday night instead."

"Go Mrs. Weasley," said Harry with an impressed grin. He glanced back at Zenith and smirked at the Dracken. "You might want to watch out for Charlie. He's a dragon tamer in Romania, and he'll be absolutely fascinated about you." He paused for a moment, staring at them thoughtfully. "Actually, you all should probably watch out for Hermione, too. She's a total bookworm, and she'll be asking you questions as soon as she sees you."

"Actually, she and Ginny will probably take one look at them and start drooling," said Bill dryly.

Harry snickered softly. "You're probably right."

Tristan scowled at Harry. "We'll just have to tell them that we're not interested."

"That won't work with Ginny," said Bill. "She's the type of girl that believes she can change your mind if given enough time. Just ask Harry. She's been after him for years."

Octavius scowled at that. "Well, she better keep her hands to herself. We are courting Harry, not her."

"Okay," said Remus loudly, trying to prevent an argument of any kind. "Supper's ready. Wash up and head to the kitchen."

Harry's ears perked up, and his tail started waving madly. He darted to the bathroom and quickly washed up, leaving his three friends staring at him in bemusement. Although Harry wasn't really a picky eater, they had never seen the Kitiara show this much enthusiasm for food, either. They were still standing there when Harry hurried out of the bathroom and headed straight for the kitchen. Remus had made lasagne. Everyone else could just fend for themselves.

XxX

Harry was rudely awakened on Saturday morning when Ron burst into his room with a shouted, "Wake up, mate," followed swiftly by a whispered, "I'll come back later. Ginny is so not going to be happy about this."

Harry blinked at the empty doorway in confusion until he realised that Tristan had climbed into the bed with him sometime during the night and was curled comfortably around him. Before he could disentangle himself from Tristan's embrace and crawl out of bed, though, Ginny burst into the room. She took one look at Harry and ran from the room.

"Why the hell do they have to be so loud this early in the morning?" grouched Octavius. "Some of us are trying to sleep here." He sat up and saw Tristan in Harry's bed and raised an eyebrow. "I claim tonight."

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, finally freeing himself and getting out of bed.

Octavius looked pointedly at the sleeping Tristan. Harry followed his gaze and blushed slightly. Octavius smirked. "Tristan got last night, so I'm claiming tonight."

"We'll see," said Harry, rummaging through the wardrobe for some clothes. "Hurry up and get dressed. I want to introduce you to my friends." He woke up Zenith and Tristan before going to the bathroom to change. When he was done, he grinned at his three suitors. "Are you ready to face the inquisition?"

Zenith grinned good-naturedly and nodded. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Let's just get this over with," sighed Tristan. And the morning had started out so pleasantly, too, until those two readheads had ruined it.

When they walked into the kitchen, Molly immediately smiled and fussed over Harry. "Oh, just look at you. You're just so adorable with those furry little ears." She unceremoniously grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him to the table, pushing him into an empty seat between Ron and Ginny. She quickly prepared a plate of food and placed it in front of Harry. "Eat up, dear, and introduce us to these handsome gentlemen with you."

Harry pointed to Tristan. "He is Tristan Hayward, my roommate at Arcane Academy. He's a weather faerie."

Tristan scowled at the introduction. "I'm a Tempest Sidhe, Harry."

Harry ignored that and pointed to Zenith. "He is Zenith Waverly, and he's a dragon demon. He's also the only reason I've managed to pass my Blood Rites and Arithmancy classes."

"That's not true, Harry. You've just had to learn a lot of material in a short amount of time," said Zenith.

Harry smiled at the Dracken and pointed to Octavius. "And he is Octavius Winter. He's a shadow demon."

"Damn, Harry, if all the guys at that school look like them, I want to go, too," said Ginny, staring at the two demons and the faerie with lust-filled eyes. She slid out of her seat and slinked over to Octavius. "I'm Ginny Weasley."

"I'm not interested," said Octavius, stepping past her to stand behind Harry's chair, one hand stroking the brunet's ears.

Ginny scowled slightly and turned toward Tristan. Tristan, however, had no compunctions about being blunt to the girl. "Not even in your wildest dreams." He walked over to stand beside Octavius.

Zenith didn't even give the girl the opportunity to look at him. He simply walked up to Harry and kissed him on the cheek. "Harry, love, perhaps you should inform your friends of the courtship."

Harry blushed lightly and looked at his friends. "Zenith, Octavius, and Tristan are formally courting me."

Hermione looked at them with interest. "A formal courtship? I've read about those, but there's not a lot of information about them. What all does a formal courtship entail?"

Harry smirked at Zenith, mouthing a silent, 'I told you so.'

"You can't be serious," said Ginny.

Harry raised a brow at the girl. "Very much so. Do you have a problem with it, Ginny?"

Ginny sighed and looked down at the floor. "I was just hoping you would finally see me as more than Ron's baby sister. I've liked you for so long, and you never saw me. I thought if I showed interest in someone else, it would make you jealous enough to pursue me."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I love you dearly, but I never saw you that way," said Harry sincerely.

Ginny sniffled softly and nodded. She quietly excused herself and left the room.

Ron looked at Harry and said the first thing on his mind. "Mate, you don't do anything halfway, do you."

Harry smiled ruefully. "What's the fun in that?"

"Zenith, do you have any other dragon attributes besides the wings and tail?" asked Charlie curiously, speaking up for the first time that morning.

"I can transform into a smaller version of the Catalonian Fireball dragon," said Zenith calmly. "Otherwise, I just retain the heightened senses of a dragon."

"Amazing," breathed Charlie, staring at the Dracken in utter fascination. He was almost itching for the chance to see the transformation first hand. "You don't see many of them around these days. We only have one on the reserve, and he's practically ancient."

"I've never even heard of a Catalonian Fireball before," said Harry.

"I can transform for you, if you like," Zenith offered generously.

"Sure. I'd love to see how you look in dragon form," said Harry happily. He started to push his plate away so that he could leave the table, but Zenith placed his hand over his.

"Finish your breakfast first. It can wait until then."

Mrs. Weasley nodded in approval. At least one of Harry's suitors had a good head on his shoulders. She wasn't sure about the other two, though. As this was their first meeting, she could by no means claim to know them well, but from what she'd seen so far, Octavius was a little standoffish and barely spoke to anyone but Harry. Tristan, on the other hand, was just downright rude at times. Only time would tell if any of the three teens would be good for Harry.

Watching Harry interact with his three suitors, Molly smiled softly. She was glad that something good had come out the whole situation with the Dursley's. Harry seemed happier than she'd ever seen the boy. He was more confident and comfortable within his own skin. And although she missed the shy boy she'd met all those years ago, Molly much preferred this happy, healthy Harry, and she vowed to do whatever it took to keep Dumbledore from ruining that happiness.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As soon as Harry finished eating, Hermione and Ron promptly grabbed their friend and practically carried him out of the room. They dragged him to his room and locked the door, casting a Silencing Charm for good measure. With that done, they commenced with the interrogation.

"How did you become a fox demon?" asked Hermione excitedly.

"When did you start liking guys?" asked Ron curiously.

"What's Arcane Academy like?" asked Hermione quickly.

"You had a crush on Cho for two years, and you've never shown any interest in guys that I've seen," Ron continued.

"What kind of subjects do they teach at your school?" asked Hermione.

"That redhead kind of reminds of Malfoy," said Ron.

"What classes are you taking?" asked Hermione.

"And that shadow demon looks dangerous," said Ron.

"Why aren't you answering me, Harry?" snapped Hermione.

Harry raised a brow at the girl. "When have I had the opportunity to answer? Between you and Ron yapping, I haven't been able to get a word in edgewise." Hermione and Ron blushed sheepishly. Harry smirked and continued. "First of all, I am not a fox demon. I'm a Kitiara. There's a difference. Second of all, have you seen those three? It's hard not to notice them, especially when they want to be noticed. As for Arcane Academy, it's awesome. It only caters to magical creatures and beings, and the classes are arranged to suit each student. Since I am a Kitata, I have Healing, Elemental magic, Magi Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Warding, and Blood Rites. My friend, Grey, is a were-tiger, so he takes Lunar and Shamanic magic to help with his animal form. My friend, Zane, is an Incubus, so he takes Sex Magic."

"Fascinating," breathed Hermione. "Oh, I wish I could attend that school with you. Compared with that kind of curriculum, Hogwarts is very lacking."

"Hogwarts isn't even on the top ten list of good schools in the world," said Harry wryly. "In fact, because of the numerous bans and restrictions, it is considered one of the worst schools to attend."

Hermione looked positively horrified that she was attending such an inferior school. "Perhaps I should ask my parents to apply for a transfer to Beauxbatons."

Harry winced slightly. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang aren't much better than Hogwarts if you're judging by their curriculum. Grey told me that Hitomi School of Magic in Japan, Apokryfos in Greece, Stregoneria Accademia in Italy, and Merlin's School of Sorcery in the States were the best wizarding schools besides Arcane Academy."

"I've never even heard of those schools. Hogwarts doesn't have any information on them in the library," said Hermione indignantly. "There is an entire section devoted to international schools, and not a single one of those is listed in any of the books."

"Well, maybe it's because those schools provide a curriculum Britain doesn't agree with, so they make sure to keep that information away from the public," said Ron softly.

"But that's just terrible," cried Hermione. "The British Ministry is putting us at a distinct disadvantage with the rest of the Wizarding World."

"Yes, they are," said Harry, nodding in agreement. "However, you're forgetting one thing." At Hermione's blank look, Harry grinned. "We're in Egypt, Hermione, and the Egyptian wizards don't agree with that nonsense. I'm sure we can find some books with the information you want when we visit the bazaar."

Hermione brightened up immediately. "Oh, I can't wait to see the Egyptian bazaar. I've heard that it's one of the largest wizarding markets in the world."

"It's amazing," said Harry. "Remus and I went there to shop for school supplies."

With those worries out of the way, Hermione decided to turn her attention back to the original topic she wanted to discuss. "So tell us about your suitors, Harry. They certainly look interesting."

"Well, I met Zenith first. I ran into him my first day of school, and I mean that literally. It was like walking into a brick wall. Like me, he's the only one of his kind at Arcane Academy, and we became fast friends. He's eighteen and apprenticing in Blood Rites this year," said Harry with a fond smile.

"He seems to really care about you, too," sighed Hermione wistfully. She just wished the one she liked would finally get his act together and ask her out.

"I still say the redhead acts like Malfoy," said Ron insistently.

Harry snickered softly. "You have no idea. Apparently, Tristan managed to drive all of his other roommates away within the first six months of school. The first night together, I, uh, sorta set his feet on fire."

"Harry!" cried Hermione sternly.

"He was threatening to hurt Shadow," said Harry defensively. "And I healed him after the fact."

"That's no excuse, Harry," said Hermione primly.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he almost froze me to death," offered Harry.

Hermione and Ron just could only at Harry in shock. Harry just shrugged. "He's a weather faerie. He got angry about something I had said, and the room got colder and colder until I was freezing."

"Bloody hell, he is just like Malfoy," said Ron incredulously.

"What about Octavius? What's he like?" asked Hermione curiously, rolling her eyes at Ron's dumbfounded muttering.

"He's a cocky bastard is what he is," said Harry promptly. "He's sneaky, a tad manipulative, and arrogant as hell, too."

Ron looked dumbfounded at the reply. "Why the hell are you letting someone like that court you?"

"Because the whole purpose of the courtship is getting to know your suitor," said Harry patiently. "And I think once you get past the exterior, Octavius isn't so bad."

"Whatever, mate. I think you're cracked in the head, but that's just my opinion," said Ron.

"Shut up, Ron. I think the courtship is a good idea," said Hermione. "It gives Harry time to really get to know his suitors, especially since sex is strictly prohibited. Besides, each suitor will be trying their best to get Harry to choose them, so there's also lots of gifts involved. And you know, gifts tell a lot about a person's personality."

"I didn't know that," said Harry softly. "Zenith told me the basics of a courtship, but he didn't mention anything about gifts."

"Well, it's not a requirement, but if they are truly serious about courting you, you should expect them," said Hermione.

Two sharp cracks sounded in his bedroom before Harry could respond to that, and he found a set of grinning twins standing directly in front of him. Fred and George sat down on each side of him with an arm draped over each shoulder. Fred tugged lightly on one of Harry's furry ears while George did the same to his silky tail.

"These are new," said Fred.

"But they suit you," added George.

"You always were a foxy lad," they said together.

Harry snickered softly at their antics. He'd really missed the twins humor this year. "Thanks," he said dryly.

"So what's this we hear about you entering into a formal courtship?" asked Fred curiously.

"And with three guys no less. If we had known you swung that way, we'd have nabbed you for ourselves," said George with a playful leer.

Harry just rolled his eyes at the twins. He knew perfectly well they weren't serious. They both thought of him as their littlest brother. "Only if you're into incest." He looked at them speculatively. "Of course, with the way you two act around each other, that could be the case."

"Harry!" the shouted indignantly. "We do not!"

Harry and Hermione laughed at the twins while Ron looked a little green in the face. "So why weren't you at breakfast this morning? Everyone else has already met my suitors," asked Harry.

The twins looked at each before turning toward Harry with a wide grin. "We were working on our latest project." Fred reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of lemon drops.

"Lemon drops?" asked Harry, a slow wicked grin crossing his face. "Please tell me these are going to do something deliciously evil to Dumbledore."

George smirked smugly. "With one tiny taste of these bad babies, Dumbledore will have every animal on the castle grounds trying to jump his bones."

Harry burst out laughing. He could picture it already. The mail owls would flock around Dumbledore, cooing for attention. And if Harry was really lucky, the old coot would trip over an adoring feline twining around his legs and break his neck from a tumble down the stairs. It was highly doubtful, but he could still dream about it.

"How do you plan to sneak them into his stash of candy?" asked Harry curiously.

"Dobby has become an invaluable ally in the war against Dumbledore," said Fred.

"He's managed to humiliate the old coot far more effectively than we have," said George in agreement.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves for making that poor house-elf do your dirty work," Hermione berated.

Fred and George held up their hands defensively. "We didn't make Dobby do anything. He started this all on his own when he found out what Dumbledore had done to his precious Harry Potter Sir."

Harry smiled fondly at that. Despite his penchant for putting Harry's life at risk while trying to save him, Dobby really was a wonderful friend. "I have a Christmas present for Dobby that I need you to give him when you get back to Hogwarts." However, as soon as he said the house-elf's name, Dobby popped into the room with an excited grin.

"Harry Potter Sir called Dobby?" Dobby gasped in surprise and wonder when he saw Harry's new appearance. "Harry Potter Sir is an exalted Kitiara. How wonderful!"

Harry blinked dumbly when Dobby bowed formally to him. "Why are you bowing, Dobby? You're my friend, so you shouldn't feel the need to do that."

"But Harry Potter Sir is a Kitiara," Dobby protested vehemently.

"What's so special about that?" asked Ron dismissively.

Dobby glared at Ron. "Kitiara is the most powerful magical beings in the world."

"If that's true, why haven't I ever heard of one?" asked Ron.

Dobby's ears drooped sadly. "Because wizards is evil. They kill Kitiara before they reach puberty and reach full magical potential. Now only a handful remains, and they be hidden from the world."

"How awful," gasped Hermione. "Why would they do that?"

"Because wizards is scared of beings more powerful than them," said Dobby bluntly. "Kitiara powerful enough to rule the world, but they used power to help people. Wizards just not care."

"B-But they're acting just like the muggles did during the witch trials," said Hermione weakly.

"Wizards are just as human as mortals without magic, and therefore prone to the same fears and prejudices."

Harry blinked in surprise at Zenith's voice and turned to see the Dracken leaning casually against the doorframe. "When did you get here?"

"I heard your friends' arrival and decided to investigate," said Zenith.

Harry smiled and walked toward the Dracken, pulling him away from the door and further into the room. "Zenith, I want you to meet my friend, Dobby." He turned to Dobby and said, "Dobby, this is Zenith. He is one of my suitors from Arcane Academy."

Dobby gasped, ears quivering excitedly. "Harry Potter Sir has Dracken suitor." He suddenly glared sternly at Zenith. "If Dracken hurts Harry Potter Sir, Dobby will hurt you."

Zenith nodded solemnly. "I'm very glad that Harry has such wonderful and loyal friends."

Fred and George stood up and circled Zenith like sharks on the prowl. "So you're one of the three men after our littlest brother."

"And you are the mischievous twins Harry speaks so fondly about," said Zenith. "Love the pictures, by the way. For what he allowed to happen, he deserved that and much more."

Fred and George looked at each other and then turned to Harry. "We approve."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Hermione wryly.

Fred and George just grinned unrepentantly. "Harry, we'll have to meet your other two suitors at a later time. We have some exploring to do." With that said, they apparated out of the room.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," mused Harry. "I didn't really get to see much the last time I was here. The only places we went were to the bazaar and to Gringotts."

Hermione and Ron shared a sad look, knowing that the reason Harry hadn't been able to explore was because he was recovering from his injuries.

Zenith smiled and tugged lightly at Harry's ear. "Then let's go explore. I've never been to  
Egypt, but I've always wanted to visit."

"Maybe we can convince Bill to show us some of the tombs they've excavated," said Harry excitedly. "Come on. I'll go ask." Harry dragged Zenith out of the room in his search for Bill. He found the redheaded curse breaker in the library with Remus, snogging the werewolf heatedly. "I see you two finally got together."

Remus pulled away quickly with a bright blush colouring his cheeks. "Harry!"

Harry rolled his eyes at the werewolf's embarrassment. "Oh, please, Remus. You can lecture me for an hour about sex with a straight face, but you blush because you were caught snogging someone." He shook his head and turned to Bill with a cajoling grin. "Bill, can you give us a tour of some of the tombs? We want to go exploring."

Bill smirked at a flustered Remus before returning Harry's smile. "Sure, Harry. Just give me an hour to get ready."

Harry raised an eyebrow and stared at the redhead speculatively. "That's a little ambitious, don't you think? I give it fifteen minutes tops."

"Harry!" shouted Remus with a scandalised look while Bill burst out laughing.

"Where did my innocent little brother go?" Bill mock lamented.

"He became friends with an Incubus and a perpetually horny were-tiger," Harry promptly replied. "I've heard more about sex in the last four months than I ever did at Hogwarts."

"Well, at least we are spared from having to give him 'The Talk,'" said Bill cheerfully. He ushered Harry and Zenith out of the library. "I'm suddenly feeling a little ambitious. Make it two hours, Harry." With a flirty wink, Bill shut the door in their faces.

"That was enlightening," said Zenith dryly. "Just what has Zane and Grey been telling you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," said Harry coyly.

XxX

Harry woke to the sound of Ron screaming at someone, He wriggled out of Octavius' arms and crawled out of bed. He opened the door with a sleepy yawn only for his jaw to drop when he saw his redheaded friend running down the hall completely naked.

"Did you forget something this morning, Ron?" asked Harry with a snicker. "I never really took you for an exhibitionist."

Ron scowled at Harry, hands vainly trying to cover his groin and arse simultaneously. "Very funny, Harry. The twins stole my clothes and towel while I was in the shower, and now they've locked me out of our room."

Harry snickered again and pulled Ron into his bedroom. He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled a pair of pyjama bottoms out, tossing them to Ron. "They'll be a little small, but they'll suffice for now."

Ron gratefully pulled them on, thankful that the material was stretchy enough to fit over his larger frame. However, the sleep pants looked more like long sleep shorts on him. The hems came up to the middle of his calves and barely covered his groin.

"You consider this a little small?" asked Ron incredulously.

"Well, what did you expect?" asked Harry, trying to keep a straight face. "You're almost a foot taller than I am."

"What the hell are you wearing?" asked Octavius, blinking blearily at Ron. "And why are you in our room?" He saw Harry standing a few feet away from the ridiculously dressed redhead and beckoned him over. "Come back to bed, Harry. It's too early for this."

"Too early," Ron repeated in disbelief. "It's ten in the morning."

Octavius just scowled darkly at Ron, making the redhead flinch slightly and stammer out, "I, uh, think I'll just go now… see if I can get into my room or something." With that said, Ron fled from the room

"Jeez, I thought he would never leave," muttered Tristan from his bed.

Harry just sighed and shook his head. "Well, since we're all awake, we may as well get up and get some breakfast."

Tristan and Octavius groaned disgruntledly and reluctantly crawled out of bed. Harry looked at Zenith's bed to see if he was awake and was surprised to see the bed empty. He hadn't even heard the Dracken leave this morning.

They all got dressed and headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Harry's appetite plummeted, though, when he saw Zenith and Charlie sitting close together, heads bent close together as the talked softly. His stomach clenched painfully when the dragon tamer lifted a hand to stroke Zenith's wing almost reverently, making Zenith shiver slightly at the touch.

Harry silently sat down, smiling half-heartedly when Mrs. Weasley immediately set a plate of food in front of him. He forced himself to take a few bites, but his roiling stomach protested the action. He finally just put his fork down and pushed his plate away. He would only make himself sick if he tried to eat anymore.

"Is something wrong, dear? You've hardly eaten a thing," said Molly in concern.

"I'm just not all that hungry," sighed Harry. He pushed away from the table and climbed to his feet. "Do you know if the kits have had anything to eat this morning?"

"Yes, dear. I gave them some bacon and sausage earlier this morning," said Molly.

Harry smiled wanly. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." He turned and headed toward the door, but a hand wrapped around his arm, keeping him in place. He looked down to see Octavius staring up at him with worried eyes. Harry reached out and brushed the demon's black hair away from his face, smiling more warmly at the other teen. "I'm fine, Octavius. I was just going to let the kits outside for the morning. Stay and finish your breakfast."

Octavius reached up with his other hand and grabbed Harry's free hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of his hand. He slowly released his grip on both of Harry's arms and sat back, watching the brunet leave with a pensive stare. He growled softly under his breath and turned to glare at Zenith only to find the Dracken already heading out of the room after Harry, so he turned his glare on Charlie.

Charlie flinched slightly at the glare. "Why are you glaring at me like that? What did I do?"

"You shouldn't act so familiarly toward another's intended," said Octavius curtly.

"What?" asked Charlie, staring at the demon in bemusement. "What are you talking about?"

"He's talking about the way you had your hands all over Zenith," snapped Tristan impatiently. "How would you feel if you walked into the room and saw another man caressing your intended's back or wings?"

"Whoa, wait a minute," Charlie protested. "I wasn't caressing his wings. I was examining them to see just how similar they are to a real dragon's wings. There was no caressing involved."

Octavius just sneered at the dragon tamer and pushed away from the table. "I'm afraid I've lost my appetite." Without a backward glance, he stalked from the room to find Harry… or perhaps Zenith. The Dracken obviously needed his arse beat for allowing the man such liberties in the first place.

Tristan pushed his plate away, as well. "Thank you for the food, Mrs. Weasley."

Once Tristan left the room, Mrs. Weasley turned toward Charlie with a reproving sigh. "I always knew your obsession with dragons was going to get you in trouble one day."

Charlie could only stare dumbfounded at her.

XxX

Harry stood outside, watching his kits frolic in the sand playfully. However, a familiar shadow suddenly loomed over him, and he looked up to see Zenith staring down at him. He was startled when Zenith reached out and pulled him into his arms, rubbing his cheek against the top of his head.

"Your friend Charlie really is as obsessed with dragons as you said he was. From the time he sat down at the table until the time you arrived, he did nothing but ask questions. I don't even think he saw me as a person at all," said Zenith softly. "I didn't want to be rude to him because he is part of your family, but his questions grew tiresome very quickly. And I have to say, it took all my control not to hit him when he touched my wings. You're the only one I've ever wanted to touch my wings."

Harry smiled softly and buried his face against Zenith's chest, the clenching in his chest and stomach finally easing. "Serves you right for getting up so early. You should have lazed about like the rest of us did because you missed quite the show this morning. The twins stole Ron's clothes and locked him out of his bedroom, so he was streaking around the house bare-arsed."

Zenith snickered softly. "As amusing as that sounds, I'm kind of glad I missed it. I have no interest in pale, freckled redheads. My tastes are much more refined."

"Yeah, how so?" asked Harry teasingly.

"I seem to have a fondness for cute little kits with black hair and green eyes," said Zenith, brushing his fingers along one of Harry's ears.

"I don't think Shadow or Eclipse will ever like you that way, Zenith, but I'm sure they appreciate the thought," said Harry, laughing at the grimace that crossed Zenith's face.

Zenith leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Harry's. "You're the only kit for me, Harry."

Harry smiled and pulled Zenith back toward the house. "Let's go back inside. I'm feeling a bit hungry now."

They didn't make it the kitchen, though. As soon as they stepped back into the house, the twins ran up to them and hid behind Zenith. "Save us, Harry. Hermione's on a warpath."

"I don't even think so. You're on your own with her. You probably deserve it anyway," said Harry bluntly.

"You're so mean, Harry," cried Fred.

"I thought you loved us," cried George.

"I like living more. I know how vicious Hermione can be when she's angry," said Harry.

Hermione ran in the room, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. She caught sight of the twins and screamed, "I"LL KILL YOU!"

Harry and Zenith wisely moved out of the warpath, leaving the twins to face her wrath alone. Fred and George squeaked in terror and apparated away with a loud crack. Hermione hissed in fury and turned to glare at Harry.

"Don't give me that look. I didn't do anything," said Harry defensively.

Hermione just growled angrily and stormed out of the room.

"Now I really want to know what they did to her," Harry mused thoughtfully. "I haven't seen her this angry since third year when she decked Malfoy in his pointy little face."

Zenith could only nod in agreement. One thing was for sure. He didn't ever want to be the source of that girl's fury. For a human girl, Hermione could be downright scary when she was angry.

Before they could attempt to go to the kitchen again, Ron ran into the room. "There you are! Come quick! Octavius is about to kill Ginny."

Harry cursed softly and chased after Ron, gasping when he saw what was going on. Octavius had a scantily clad Ginny pinned against the wall with his shadows. Tristan sat on his bed, watching the two with a vindictive smirk.

"What the hell is going on here?" Harry demanded.

"We caught her trying to slip this potion into your trunk," hissed Octavius, holding up a clear potion's phial.

Harry frowned curiously and took the phial from Octavius, uncapping it and taking a tentative sniff. It didn't smell like any potion he recognised, though. "What exactly is this, Ginny?"

Ginny scowled. "I have no idea. Bill asked me to give it to you. Since you weren't here, I was just going to put it in your trunk and tell you I'd left it for you during lunch. And then these two morons showed up and attacked me."

Zenith took the phial and examined the substance inside only to start snickering. "Let her go, Octavius. She's telling the truth."

"So what is it?" asked Harry curiously.

"Lubricant," said Zenith, smirking at the bright blush that flooded Harry's cheeks.

Ginny choked slightly at the answer. She was going to kick Bill's arse when she finally got out of here. She couldn't believe her bastard brother had sent her here with something to facilitate Harry's relationship with three men after her heart was broken by him.

Octavius smirked at the infuriated look on Ginny's face and released her. "Run along now, little girl. Oh, and thank your brother for us."

Ginny hissed at the shadow demon and stormed from the room.

"There was no need for that, Octavius," sighed Harry. Although he didn't feel the same for Ginny, he wasn't trying to rub his new relationships in her face, either.

"It sure made me feel better," said Tristan promptly. "The bint still has hopes that you'll change your mind about her. Obviously, Bill realised this, too. Why else would he send her specifically to give you a phial of lubricant?"

Harry scowled at that before a devious grin crossed his face. "And I'm sure Remus will love to hear that, too. In fact, I think I'm going to tell him right now." With that said, Harry cheerfully sauntered out of the room to find his werewolf guardian.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Two days passed before Harry could implement his plan of revenge against Bill because the redheaded prat had cowardly fled the cottage, claiming that he had been called in on urgent business at the bank. That was alright, though. That just gave Harry two extra days to think of ways to torment the curse-breaker. And the torment began now.

Harry waited until the entire family had gathered at the table to eat before making his move. As Bill took a bite of his food, Harry pulled a familiar potion's phial out of his pocket and set it on the table. He calmly pushed the phial toward Bill and gave the redhead a sweet smile.

"Hey, Bill? Do you think you can get me some more of that potion you had Ginny give me?"

Bill choked on his food at the question and stared at the empty phial in disbelief. "You've used it all already? What kind of orgies have you four been having in that room? There was enough lube in that phial to last at least two weeks." Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, Bill's jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and he turned slowly to face a softly growling Remus. He flinched at the dark look on the werewolf's face and opened his mouth to say something… anything, but he really couldn't think of anything to say in the face of Remus' murderous rage.

"You gave my kit lubricant?" Remus snarled quietly.

"Bill!" screeched Molly, glaring at her oldest son. "I would expect this kind of stunt from the twins, but you're supposed to more responsible than that. And using poor Ginny in your prank like that was just cruel."

"It was just a joke, Mum," said Bill defensively. "He didn't have to use it. Why aren't you yelling at him?"

Remus and Molly immediately turned expectantly toward Harry. He just gave them an innocently confused look. "Lubricant? I thought it was massage oil, so I used it to soften the cracks in Zenith's wings. See?" He gestured toward the glistening, leathery wings fluttering gently behind Zenith.

Molly sighed in relief and sat back down to eat. Remus, on the other hand, was by no means placated. He calmly grabbed Bill's arm and pulled him away from the table with a muttered, "Excuse us."

Harry blinked at the abrupt departure and said, "I wonder where they're going. Perhaps we should put a warming charm on their food until they get back."

"You're such a thoughtful young man, Harry," said Molly proudly, casting the warming charm on Remus and Bill's plates. "If only my boys were more like you."

Harry just flashed her a sweet smile and went back to his meal, ignoring the awed looks the twins kept giving him. He had barely put his fork down after his last bite when Fred and George jumped up and dragged him away from the table. They pulled him into their bedroom and locked and silenced the room.

"You are absolutely," started Fred.

"Positively evil, Harry," continued George.

"We love it!" they said together.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Harry primly. "I just asked Bill for some more of what I thought was massage oil. How is that evil?"

"Yeah, right," snorted Fred. "We know you too well to believe that."

"You may not have known what it was at first, but I'm quite sure one of your suitors did and informed you," said George.

"The question is, was it brash and bold Tristan, arrogant and aloof Octavius, or nice and quiet Zenith?" asked Fred. "I'm betting it was Tristan."

"I'm betting it was Octavius," added George.

"Well, you're both wrong. It was Zenith," said Harry, watching the pair in amusement.

"We should have guessed," said Fred.

"It's always the ones you least expect," said George.

"I wonder what Moony is going to do to Bill," mused Fred.

"Let's find out," said George mischievously.

Harry snickered softly and calmly dismantled the charms on the door. "Let me know what you find out."

"Will do, partner," said the twins cheerfully.

XxX

Harry walked into the kitchen the next morning and stopped short. There was a long-haired, red Irish Setter laying in the floor beside the kitchen table. He started to ask where the dog had come from when he got a whiff of the scent under the initial dog smell.

"Bill?" he asked hesitantly. The dog whined softly, looking thoroughly miserable.

"He's been like that since Remus dragged him out of the kitchen last night," said Molly sympathetically. "Arthur and I tried to change him back, but nothing we've tried has worked." She gave the dog a stern look. "Maybe next time you'll think a little before you pull another stunt like that, William Weasley."

Bill just whined again and buried his face in his paws. Looking at the pathetic picture, Harry kind of felt bad for incurring Remus' wrath against the redhead. As he sat down at the table, he decided to have a little talk with Remus after breakfast. Yes, he'd wanted to torment Bill a little for his stunt with the lube, but the poor man looked so miserable, Harry just didn't have the heart to watch him suffer anymore.

Tristan and Octavius walked into the kitchen, and Harry gave them a wan smile. "Where's Zenith?"

"He'll be here in a few minutes. He was still getting dressed when we left," said Octavius calmly. He looked down at the dog curiously. "Where'd the dog come from?"

"It's Bill," said Harry with a guilty frown.

Tristan snickered softly. "Now that gives new meaning to the term, 'being in the doghouse,' doesn't it?"

"Look at him, though. He looks miserable," said Harry.

"He'll be fine, Harry," said Tristan dismissively. "I'm sure your guardian won't make him suffer for too much longer. He's rather like you when it comes to hurting others."

"He's much cuter like this. Your guardian has good taste," said Octavius teasingly.

"Octavius," spluttered Harry, trying not to laugh. He had to agree, though. Bill made one adorable dog.

A few minutes later, Ginny bounded into the kitchen with a happy smile on her face. She smirked at the dog and sat down at the table, stepping on one of Bill's paws as she did. Bill yelped in pain and growled at Ginny, but she just gave everyone an innocent look and claimed it was an accident.

At a sharp look from his mother, Bill slowly quit growling and flopped back down on the floor. A few minutes later, however, he yelped again as the pointed toe of Ginny's shoes dug into his side. This time, he knew the brat had done it on purpose. Apparently, Harry did too.

"Ginny! You stop that right now," snapped Harry angrily.

Ginny looked at him in confusion. "Stop what, Harry?"

"I saw you kick Bill, Ginny, so don't even bother trying to deny it," said Harry irritably.

"It was an accident, Harry," said Ginny carelessly. "I thought I felt something crawling on me and kicked out in reflex."

"You're an awful liar, Ginny," said Harry bluntly. "You're just being cruel because you're still angry about the prank he played on us."

"Well, he deserves it," snapped Ginny defensively. "He sent me to your room just so he could rub your new relationships in my face."

"That's because you don't know how to give up gracefully," said Tristan, glaring at the girl. "Harry isn't interested in you, and he's told you that himself. Get over it and move on already."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Ginny with a haughty sniff.

"Does your mother know you came to our room dressed like a whore when you brought that potion?" asked Octavius snidely.

"I've lost my appetite," said Harry abruptly, pushing his plate away and standing. "I'm going to go have a talk with Remus. Come on, Bill." The dog eagerly got to his feet and trotted out of the kitchen after Harry.

"I don't know what he sees in you two," muttered Ginny disdainfully. "You're both arrogant pricks."

"At least we're not total whores like you are," sneered Tristan. "Do you even remember how many guys you've fucked while chasing after Harry?"

"I am not a whore," hissed Ginny venomously. "I've only slept with one person. Can you say the same?"

"No, I can't," said Tristan calmly. Ginny looked smug at the admission, but it was quickly wiped away with Tristan's next comment. "I haven't had sex at all, yet."

"Y-You're a virgin?" spluttered Ginny, staring at the faerie in shock.

Octavius smirked at the faerie. "That somehow doesn't surprise me. Harry's the only person you've allowed to get that close to you, isn't he?"

Tristan nodded. "He's special. He's got so much power at his fingertips, but he's so damn soft-hearted that he just can't bring himself to truly hurt someone."

"Like with Sheila," said Octavius. "Even though he was only defending himself from her attack, he still healed the damage he inflicted on her."

Tristan smiled wryly. "He did the same thing to me. I threatened to hurt one of his kits the first day we met, and he set my feet on fire."

"And then he promptly healed the burns," Octavius concluded.

"You two act like he's some kind of saint," said Ginny scornfully. "I can assure you that he's nothing of the sort. It's his fault that Sirius died this June."

"Ginny Weasley, how dare you say that," snapped Molly angrily. "Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius, so don't you go trying to pin the blame on Harry."

"If Harry hadn't gone to the Ministry, Sirius would still be alive," said Ginny.

"That is enough out of you, young lady," said Molly sternly. "Go to your room, and if I hear you say another word on the subject, I'll tan your hide."

Ginny scowled at her mother and stalked out of the kitchen with a huff. Molly sighed and looked at Tristan and Octavius. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. I just don't know what's gotten into that girl lately. She's always idolised Harry because of the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing, and it just got worse after he saved her from the basilisk, but I thought she'd mellowed out over the last two years."

"She's tainted by black magic," said Octavius softly. "There are tendrils of magic, almost like shadows, wrapped around her body."

Molly gasped in horror. "She was possessed by You-Know-Who when she was eleven, but we thought everything was alright after Harry destroyed the diary. Is she still being possessed?"

Octavius shook his head. "She's not being possessed. The shadows are too faint for that, but they can still influence her to a small degree, mostly through her emotions rather than her mind. It certainly would explain why she's so obsessed with Harry. As you said, she already idolised him, and the black magic remnants are amplifying those emotions to a dangerous degree."

"Can they be removed?" asked Molly worriedly.

"Yes, but it would be costly," said Octavius. "The only ones capable of purging a person of black magic like that are fae healers."

Molly looked devastated at the news. Her baby was hurt, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Excuse me, please," said Tristan quietly. He quickly stood and left the room, heading straight for his bedroom. He saw Zenith heading toward the kitchen and passed the Dracken with barely a glance. He had a call he had to make.

Once he reached the bedroom, Tristan pulled a small blue orb out of his trunk and said, "Aunt Marissa, I need to talk with you, please."

A few minutes later, the orb turned clear, and a woman with silvery blonde hair and violet eyes appeared in the glass. "Tristan, it's been months since you last called. Is something wrong?"

"I'm courting someone," said Tristan.

"Oh, that's wonderful," said Marissa happily. "Who is it? What are they like? How many rivals do you have? I can't wait to meet them."

"I'm courting a Kitiara named Harry Potter, and he's amazing. He has two other suitors besides me, but we all actually get along rather well." Tristan sighed and looked at his aunt pleadingly. "The reason I called, though, is because I need your help. One of Harry's family members was possessed by a dark lord years ago, and she is still being influenced by remnants of black magic from the possession. You're the best healer I know, Aunt Marissa."

"Tristan, you know you only had to ask," said Marissa gently. "I never blamed you for what happened to Callandra, and it just makes me so angry every time I see the way my sister and brother-in-law treat you. Tell me where you are, and I'll be there tomorrow morning."

"We're in Egypt, but I'm not sure about the exact location. If you'll just go to the Gringotts in Egypt, I'll have one of the family members meet you there," said Tristan.

"Have them meet me at nine o'clock then," said Marissa firmly. "And, Tristan? It's really great to see you so happy. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tristan nodded and smiled at his aunt. "Bye, Aunt Marissa." The orb turned blue once more, and Tristan set it carefully back in his trunk. Now he just had to make arrangements for someone to meet his aunt in the morning.

XxX

Harry opened the door to Remus and Bill's room and promptly blushed at the sight of Charlie bent over with his bare arse facing the door as he pulled a pair of briefs up his legs. "I-I am so sorry," stammered Harry, closing the door quickly. He looked down at Bill, face still warm with a blush, and said, "He's not here. Do you know where he might be?"

Bill chuffed softly, inwardly cackling at Harry's embarrassment, and headed off toward the library. Remus always spent at least an hour in the library each day, especially now that the house was overrun with guests and family. It was pretty much the only place in the house where he could get any peace and quiet these days.

Although the room looked empty when they walked in, Bill knew exactly where the werewolf was hiding. He lead Harry to a corner in the back of the room, hidden in the shadows of a bookshelf. Remus looked up in surprise at Harry's arrival and slowly put his book down.

"Hello, Harry. Is there something I can do for you?" he asked politely.

"Change him back, Remus," said Harry, gesturing to the dog beside him.

"No," said Remus bluntly.

"Moony, I know you're upset about what he did. So was I if for no other reason than the fact that he used Ginny to play his prank, knowing how she felt about me. But you can't leave him like this," said Harry softly.

"What happened?" asked Remus, knowing there was another reason Harry was so insistent on this.

"Ginny kicked him twice at breakfast, and you know Bill won't do anything to hurt her no matter what she does to him. At least if he were human, he could defend himself a bit better," said Harry.

"She what?" growled Remus angrily. "I hope Molly took that girl in hand because if she didn't, I'll-" He cut off what he was about to say and took a deep breath. Pulling his wand out of his robes, he swished it toward Bill and reversed the transfiguration spell he'd cast. "You can deal with her yourself now, Bill."

"Now that that's taken care of, I'll just be leaving," muttered Harry, sighing slightly when neither Bill nor Remus even acknowledged his comment. "I swear, they act more like teenagers than I do," he said as he walked out of the room.

Harry decided to go outside and play with his kits for a while. It had been a while since he last transformed, and he wanted to run and play for a bit. As he stepped outside, though, he was surprised to see Octavius sitting on the ground playing with Shadow and Eclipse. The shadow demon just didn't seem the type to enjoy playing with animals like that.

"Having fun?"

"It's relaxing," said Octavius easily.

"I know. I had the same thought myself," said Harry ruefully, sitting on the ground beside Octavius. Shadow immediately jumped into his lap and nudged his stomach. Harry smiled and obediently stroked the kit's furry ears.

"Why don't you transform and play with them for a bit?" Octavius suggested. "There's been so much going on lately that you haven't really gotten a chance to do so since we got here."

He smiled eagerly and gently set Shadow back down on the ground before transforming into his fox form. Soon, three black kits were running and rolling across the sand. Octavius snickered slightly when Shadow and Eclipse pounced on Harry, pinning him on his back with one kit happily nuzzling his neck and the other nuzzling his belly.

"He looks like he's having fun," said Zenith softly, sitting down beside Octavius. Almost as soon as he did, Harry bounded up to him and jumped in his lap with a happy yip. Shadow and Eclipse decided to pounce on Octavius this time.

Harry suddenly cocked his head and looked toward the door. Zenith looked back, as well, but the door was still closed. However, a moment later, the door opened to reveal Tristan on the doorstep. Harry yipped softly and bounded up to the faerie, nudging the redhead's leg demandingly.

"Okay, I get," said Tristan with an exasperated sigh. He picked Harry up and started petting the dark fur. He snickered softly as Harry almost started purring when he scratched behind his ears. "As amusing as this is, you might want to change back. I've got something to tell you."

Harry cocked his head curiously and immediately transformed back, forgetting that he was still in Tristan's arms. Tristan gasped in surprise at the sudden transformation and quickly shifted his hold on Harry to keep from dropping him. Tristan slowly set Harry on his feet and smiled ruefully.

"I guess I probably should have put you down before I said anything." He sat down beside Zenith and pulled Harry into his lap. "My Aunt Marissa is coming to visit in the morning. I've already asked Bill if it was alright, and he agreed to meet her at Gringotts and to bring her here."

"I'm happy to meet your family and all, but why is she coming here?" asked Harry curiously.

"She's a fae healer," said Tristan softly.

"She's coming to heal the Weasley bint," said Octavius bluntly.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with her?" asked Harry worriedly.

"Mrs. Weasley told us about the time she was possessed by Voldemort, Harry," said Tristan. "Well, Octavius' power involves shadows, and he could clearly see the shadows black magic left behind on the girl. While she's not being possessed, the shadows do still have the power to influence her emotions, such as her obsession with you and anger in general. Only fae healers have the magic capable of purging black magic from a person, but it's almost impossible for a human to contact them."

"That was over three years ago," Harry murmured. He suddenly had a horrifying thought. Ginny had been possessed by a fragment of Voldemort's soul. He, however, had been possessed by Voldemort himself. Was he being affected by remnants of magic, as well? He turned fearful eyes toward Octavius. "Do I have those shadows, too? That bastard tried to possess me just this June."

Octavius quickly shook his head. "I don't see any magical remnants on you at all."

"I wonder why. Ginny was possessed by a soul fragment while I was possessed by a resurrected Voldemort. Maybe it affected her more because she was under his control for so long," said Harry musingly.

"What do you mean?" asked Zenith.

"Voldemort had stored a piece of his soul into a diary," said Harry hesitantly. Before he could say anything else, Octavius growled angrily.

"That bastard created a horcrux. That fucking coward."

"What's a horcrux?" asked Tristan.

"A horcrux is created by murdering someone and ripping a piece of your soul off and storing it another object," said Octavius. "It's black magic at its worst, and it's designed to keep a person anchored to the living world even if the physical body is destroyed."

Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. If what Octavius was saying was true, did that mean he was a horcux, as well? He felt sick at the very idea of a piece of Voldemort residing in his body.

"H-How do you tell if something is a horcrux?" asked Harry fearfully.

"The Soul Reveal spell," said Octavius promptly. "A dark red light will surround the object if a foreign soul is trapped inside."

"Can you cast that spell on me?" asked Harry nervously. At their shocked looks, he hurried to explain. "The scar he gave me hurts whenever he's close or very emotional, and I sometimes have visions of what he's doing. I just need to know if he somehow turned me into a horcrux the night he tried to kill me."

"I already told you that you have shadows of black magic on you, and horcruxes certainly fall under that category. However, I will do the spell if it will make you feel better," said Octavius gently. He got up and knelt down in front of Harry. He slowly reached out and gently traced the faded scar on Harry's forehead. "Animus Aperio." A soft blue light encompassed Harry's body unmarred by any other colour. Octavius released the spell and brushed Harry's hair back with a smile. "See? No black magic at all."

Harry threw his arms around Octavius' neck and buried his face in the shadow demon's neck. The relief he felt almost made him dizzy in its intensity. Of course, now that he thought about it, he hadn't any pain in his scar or visions since he'd awakened from his coma. He pulled back and looked up at Octavius.

"Do you think my inheritance may have purged any black magic in me away?"

"It's very possible," said Octavius thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I haven't had any trouble with my scar since I woke up after my inheritance," Harry explained.

"Then I would say your theory is most likely correct," said Octavius.

"Now we just have to find any other horcruxes the idiot wizard created," said Zenith.

"Dumbledore would know, but we can't exactly ask him," said Harry. He sighed in frustration. "All we can really do now is hope that he mentions them to Bill or Snape."

"You still have time to figure things out, Harry," said Zenith soothingly. "You have quite a bit to learn before you're ready to face him, and even then you won't have to do so alone."

"Yeah, Harry. No matter what happens, we'll stand beside you," promised Tristan.

"Besides, he won't know what hit him with two demons involved," said Octavius confidently. "As a Dracken, Zenith can command dragons, and I, of course, command the shadows."

"So just relax and enjoy the holidays. The Weasley girl will be back to her old self by tomorrow, and Christmas is only six days away," Zenith concluded.

"Speaking of Christmas, what'd you get me, Harry?" asked Octavius slyly.

A dismayed look crossed Harry's face. "I knew I was forgetting something." At the crestfallen look on Octavius' face, Harry laughed softly and said, "Just kidding, Octavius. I bought your present days ago, but you'll have to wait until Christmas to find out what it is just like the rest of us."

"But it's still days away, and I want to know now," whined Octavius teasingly, smiling slightly at the resulting grin on Harry's face. It still amazed him that this little brunet could evoke such feelings of happiness in him. He hadn't smiled or laughed this much since his mother was still alive.

"Poor baby," taunted Harry. "I'm sure you'll survive the wait somehow." Despite his teasing, though, he felt a pang of sadness about the upcoming holiday. He'd only gotten to spend one Christmas with his godfather before he was taken away so cruelly. However, Sirius' death had taught him one thing. Life was short, so he should cherish every moment he had with his family and friends.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Harry was ambushed on his way to the kitchen the next morning by the mischievous twins. They grinned impishly as they dragged him back to their room, locking and warding the door behind them. Forcing Harry to sit on the edge of the bed, they pulled an envelope out of the desk drawer and brandished it in front of the brunet triumphantly.

"What is that?" asked Harry warily.

"This, dearest Harry, is why Hermione was so mad at us," said Fred smugly.

Harry warily took the envelope and opened it, spilling the contents into his palm. They were photos, and the images on the photos made him blush fiercely. "How the hell did you get these?"

George held his hands up and looked at Harry innocently. "It was purely by accident."

"Yeah, we were planning to take some pictures of the tombs," said George.

"But we just couldn't resist taking these when we walked in on her the other day," finished Fred.

"She was just so cute, dancing around the room like that," said George.

The photos were of Hermione wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy panties. Harry was mortified for his friend. He'd want to kill the twins too if they had pictures of him practically nude. "I can't believe you did this." He looked up at the twins with an evil smirk. "I do hope you plan to give these to her because you can't run forever, and the longer she has to chase you, the worse she'll hurt you in the end."

The twins paled at that statement. They hadn't even thought about that, but Harry was absolutely right. Hermione didn't forgive easily, and she never forgot. If they continued to withhold these photos from her, she was going to torture them far more effectively than Voldemort ever could.

Fred snatched the photos out of Harry's hands and shoved them back in the envelope. "You're absolute right, dear brother."

"We'll just return these to her now," said George. And with that, they hurried out of the room in search of the vengeful brunet.

Harry grinned and sauntered casually toward the kitchen. They really should have known better in the first place. Hermione had a wicked temper when riled, and she knew more hexes and spells than they ever thought of learning.

When he walked into the kitchen, Harry stopped short when he saw a strange blonde woman sitting next to Tristan. However, he immediately knew who she was when she glanced toward him because she had the exact same eyes Tristan did. He was startled, though, when she squealed girlishly and jumped to her feet, rushing toward him and pulling him into her arms.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing," she cooed cheerfully. "And what beautiful green eyes you have."

"Aunt Marissa, leave Harry alone," sighed Tristan.

Marissa just grinned at her nephew and refused to relinquish her grip on Harry. "No, I want to spend some time with him now." She pulled Harry to the table and pushed him down into the seat beside Tristan, taking the seat on his other side. "It's very nice to finally meet you."

"You, too. I'm glad he still has someone in the family that isn't afraid to show they love him," said Harry sweetly.

"He told you?" asked Marissa in shock.

Harry scowled. "Yes, he did, and if I ever meet his parents, they'll be lucky if I don't kick their arses for the way they've treated Tristan. It wasn't his fault Callandra died. If they want to blame someone, they need to blame Apollo for seducing the poor girl."

Marissa smiled softly and ruffled Harry's hair. "If you do meet them, don't resist the urge. I love my family, but they need their arses kicked." She suddenly turned to Harry and looked at him expectantly. "So tell me about yourself, Harry."

"Well, my full name is Harry James Potter, and I am sixteen years old. I started Arcane Academy this year after gaining my Kitiara inheritance, and Tristan is my roommate," said Harry easily.

"Harry Potter?" asked Marissa thoughtfully. She glanced up at Harry's forehead and gasped in surprise. "You're the boy who defeated that insipid dark lord as an infant?"

"Actually, it was my mum's sacrifice that defeated him. I just managed to survive the ordeal," said Harry bluntly. "However, according to a stupid prophecy, I am the only one who can kill the bastard."

"What a heavy burden to place on a child," said Marissa sadly.

"At least, he's actually getting the proper training to deal with the bastard now," said Tristan snidely. "His previous Headmaster certainly wasn't making an effort to do so. Judging by the way he forced Harry into an abusive home, he'd probably hand him over to the dark lord before helping him."

"A-Abusive home?" asked Marissa in a horrified whisper.

"It's not important," said Harry softly. "Remus saved me from all that, and I never have to go back. Besides, if it hadn't happened, I might never have ended up at Arcane Academy, and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything."

Marissa smiled sweetly at Harry. "You're a wise young man. Tristan's lucky to have found you."

"I think it goes both ways," said Harry fondly.

Marissa grinned happily at his response and gave Tristan a thumbs up. Tristan groaned softly at his aunt's antics and proceeded to ignore her for the rest of the meal. His aunt could be so embarrassing at times.

Harry frowned thoughtfully as he stared at the numerous empty chairs around the table. In fact, the only ones present were Octavius, Zenith, Tristan, Marissa, Mrs. Weasley, and him. "Where is everyone this morning?"

"Charlie and the twins went to the bazaar to look around, and Ron and Hermione should be in the library. Arthur had to leave because of an emergency at work, and Ginny is sleeping. The poor dear was exhausted after her healing," said Mrs. Weasley.

"So Ginny's okay now?" asked Harry hopefully.

"Yes, I managed to remove the tainted magic, so she should be just fine," said Marissa softly.

"Thank goodness," whispered Harry.

Marissa smiled and got to her feet. "Well, it was wonderful to meet all of you, but I really must be going now. Tristan, I want to hear from you at least once a week from now on. And, Harry, you're welcome to call any time, as well."

As Marissa walked out of the kitchen, Harry looked at Tristan and said, "I like her."

"Well, now that the meet and greet is over, Zenith and I have something we want to show you, Harry," said Octavius.

"Oh? What is it?" asked Harry curiously.

"We'll show you outside," said Zenith.

The four of them went outside and into a large open area behind the cottage. Zenith pulled something out of his pocket and looped it loosely around his neck. At the confused look on Harry's face, Zenith just grinned and gestured for the brunet to back up a few feet. Once Harry was safely out of the way, the Dracken slowly began to morph into his dragon form, and as he did, it quickly became apparent that the thing around his neck was similar to a horse's bridle.

Harry could only stare in awe at Zenith's dragon form. The dragon was a solid, shimmering black with silver scales running down the length of his belly and lining the huge wings. He was smaller than the dragons Harry had seen at the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but he was still huge standing among the rest of them.

The dragon suddenly knelt down in front of Harry and nudged his chest affectionately, almost purring when the brunet stroked his scales gently. Then he turned his head sharply, sending the reins of the bridle flying toward Harry with the motion.

Harry hesitantly grabbed the reigns and gingerly climbed onto Zenith's back. He settled against the base of the dragon's neck, tucking his feet beneath the wing joints, and wrapped the reins firmly around his hands. Once he was settled, he lightly tapped the reins against Zenith's neck, and the dragon immediately leapt into the air.

As they soared across the skies, everything but the rush of air around him became a distant memory. Merlin, he had missed this feeling. He'd never felt as free as he did when he was flying.

Zenith suddenly began to dive toward the ground, and Harry was shocked when the dragon shot three small fireballs toward the ground in rapid succession instead of the normal stream of fire most dragons created. Even more impressive was the fact that the fireballs were so hot, the sand began to melt, creating molten patterns across the ground. Harry just knew that once the sand cooled off, glass would replace the molten liquid of the patterns.

Zenith pulled out of his dive a mere fifteen feet from the gound and flew back to where they'd started. He landed gracefully and knelt down for Harry to get off before transforming back into his original form. He grinned at the equal parts excited and disappointed look on Harry's face. Obviously, the brunet had enjoyed the flight just as much as he had.

"Did you enjoy the flight, Harry?" he asked teasingly.

"It was amazing," said Harry eagerly. "You definitely let me have to do that again sometime."

"If you think that was amazing, you should watch this," said Octavius confidently. Shadows immediately began to rise from the ground to surround the demon, covering his body from head to toe. A moment later, a shadowy paw stepped from the mass of shadows followed by the shadowy figure of a large wolf. The wolf raised his head and howled before shrinking into the form of a raven. The raven cawed and took flight, soaring high before heading toward the ground in a sharp dive. A few feet from the ground, the raven burst into shadows, and Octavius stepped from them.

"Amazing," breathed Harry in utter awe. He'd never seen anything like it. It was absolutely fascinating to watch.

Octavius smirked smugly at the awe on Harry's face before turning toward the last member of their group. "What about you, Tristan? Do you have anything to show us?"

Tristan frowned slightly. Unlike the other three, he couldn't transform into any type of animal. His powers were strictly elemental, and even those were limited. Unlike Harry, who could control all of the elements easily, he only excelled in ice and lightning manipulations. An idea suddenly occurred to him.

Tristan raised his hands and gathered lightning into each palm. Moving each hand slowly and rhythmically, he slowly forced the lightning into the form of a crackling, yellow bird. He tossed the bird into the air and watched it fly across the sand, sending little bolts of lightning down into the sand with every flap of its wings. Tristan then formed a small rabbit out of ice and set it down on the ground. The rabbit immediately hopped away, leaving little icy footprints in his wake.

"Wicked! I want to learn how to do that," said Harry eagerly, watching both animals with childish delight.

"I can teach you," said Tristan softly. "Concentrate on the element you want and focus it into your hands."

Harry raised his hands the way Tristan had done early and decided to try fire first since that element came to him the most easily. He took a deep breath and formed a small fireball between his hands, waiting for Tristan's next instructions..

"Good. Now just remember that fire is extremely malleable and envision what you want to create," said Tristan encouragingly.

Harry nodded and closed his eyes, a picture of Fawkes forming in his mind. Instinctively, his hands began to move, gently coaxing the flames into the form he wanted. In a matter of minutes, a fiery phoenix replaced the fireball. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was still recognisable.

"That's perfect, Harry," said Tristan, staring at the burning phoenix in shock.

Harry started in surprise and opened his eyes, looking at the phoenix in his hands in awe. He'd done it. Like Tristan had done with the lightning bird, Harry raised his hands up, pushing the phoenix into the air. He watched in delight as the phoenix flew gracefully across the sky for several minutes before the flames began to sputter and die.

Thrilled with his success, Harry began to gather ice in his hands, the image of an arctic fox in his head. However, when he tried to shape the ice, it merely shattered in his hands. Taking a calming breath, he tried again, but the ice refused to take shape, shattering into pieces once more. With a growl of frustration, he tried over and over again only to get the same results each time.

Tristan finally grabbed Harry's hands to stop the brunet from trying again. "That's enough, Harry. You did well to create the phoenix on your first try. Don't push yourself so hard over this."

"Why can't I do it?" asked Harry in frustration.

"Ice is more rigid than fire for one. Plus, you seem to have a greater affinity with fire than ice at the moment," said Tristan. "Besides, creating these creatures from the elements takes fine control over that element, and you don't have that over ice yet. You've only been using elemental magic for a few months."

Harry sighed and nodded. Tristan was right. He'd learned a lot over the last four months, but he still had a long way to go. All he could do now was practice with the elements until he had the control necessary to bend and shape them to his will. As it was now, the elements responded more to his emotions than his will. Besides, he'd learned the Patronus charm at the age of thirteen, so he could damn well learn to better control his elemental power at sixteen. It was just a matter of determination, and he had that in spades.

'Well, may as well work with what I have at the moment,' thought Harry silently, forming another fireball in his hands. This time, he made a twin-tailed cat that he'd seen in a book about Japanese magical creatures, concentrating on getting the details perfect. Once formed, the cat immediately jumped out of his hands and stalked haughtily away from them, head and tails held high. The cat stopped a few feet away and curled up comfortably, purring softly. Harry blinked in surprise at the cat's actions and turned to Tristan for answers.

"Don't look at me," said Tristan. "I've never seen an elemental animal act like that before. That cat almost seems alive."

As soon as Tristan said that, the cat's head lifted, and it glared at the faerie, baring its teeth in a snarl. Harry quickly walked over to the cat and leaned down to pet the growling feline, the flames of its body caressing his skin almost lovingly. "Just ignore him, kitty. He's just jealous that his creations weren't this intelligent."

The cat immediately quit growling and nuzzled against Harry's hand eagerly, purring loudly. However, a moment later, the cat caught sight of a lizard scurrying across the sand and immediately gave chase. Harry winced and covered his nose as the cat pounced on the poor lizard, burning the small reptile to a crisp, before the flames making up its body flickered and died, leaving nothing but a small pile of ashes beside the burnt carcass.

"Well, that was unexpected," said Octavius. "It was a Kamikaze Cat."

XxX

Charlie and the twins were on their way back to the cottage when they saw a large figure flying in the distance. Fred gasped in surprise and asked, "Is that a dragon?"

Charlie pulled out the pair of omnioculars he kept on him at all times and peered at the figure. He was almost green with envy when he saw the figure atop the dragon. As much as he worked with dragons, he'd never actually gotten to ride one, and Merlin did he want to. "It's Harry and Zenith."

"Blimey! Our youngest brother riding a dragon!" said George excitedly.

"Of course, if anyone could do it, it would be our Harry," added Fred.

"I wonder if Zenith will let anyone else ride him," said George thoughtfully.

Fred snickered at the comment. "I think Harry would murder you if you tried."

George burst into laughter and nodded. "You're probably right, Fred." He then smirked at his brother. "It doesn't hurt to ask, though. Let's go."

The twins broke out into a run, reaching the area where Harry was just in time to see a cat made of flames jump on an unsuspecting lizard before burning into ashes. "What the hell was that?" asked Fred in shock.

"Kamikaze Cat," said Octavius promptly.

"Wicked!" said the twins excitedly.

"Just imagine what kind of damage you do to those pesky Death Eaters with those things," said George excitedly.

"I don't even know how I did it," Harry protested.

"We'll figure something out," said Fred easily. He suddenly turned toward Zenith and grinned widely. "Now when do we get a ride, dragon-boy?"

"Never," said Zenith calmly. "Only Harry is allowed to ride me in any way."

Harry blushed fiercely at that comment and tried to calm his suddenly racing heart. "Z-Zenith!"

Zenith just flashed him a sexy grin and draped his arm over Harry's shoulder, pulling him close.

Charlie suddenly ran up to them, panting and out of breath. Fred and George immediately ran to their older brother, pouting piteously. "Charlie, Zenith's so mean. He won't let anyone but Harry ride him."

Charlie sighed in disappointment. He'd really been hoping he could ride a dragon at least once in his lifetime. His nose suddenly twitched as the smell of burnt flesh blew past him. "What is that smell?"

Everyone pointed to the lizard carcass. Fred grinned and said, "You should have seen it, Charlie. Harry somehow created a cat made out of flames, and it pounced on the lizard, burning it to a crisp, before the flames died out."

"Can I see?" asked Charlie curiously.

"I don't even know how I did it the first time around," sighed Harry. "Except maybe..." His voice trailed off as he remembered trying to capture every nuance of the cat in perfect detail. When he'd created the phoenix, he'd just concentrated on the basic shape of the bird. Taking a deep breath, Harry formed another fireball between his hands. This time, he concentrated on creating a small dragon, using Zenith's dragon form as his guide. When he was done, a small replica of dragon-Zenith sat in his palms.

Zenith blinked in surprise at the tiny dragon before a wide smile crossed his face. "It's a fiery, tiny version of me. You even got the exact shape of my wings right."

Harry sniffed haughtily. "Of course, Zenith. I see your wings every day." The dragon suddenly mewled softly, nudging Harry's palm affectionately. Harry smiled fondly and rubbed the dragon's head.

"Doesn't that burn?" asked Charlie curiously.

"No, I called these flames forth so they only answer to me," said Harry reasonably. He then raised his hands in the air and said, "Fly now, little one."

The dragon leapt from Harry's hands and flew through the air, roaring softly in jubilation. Now they just needed something for the dragon to attack. Since there were no more lizards nearby, Harry took of his left sock and transfigured into a small sheep. He nudged the sheep, causing it to bleat in protest, and the dragon immediately attacked. Two fireballs shot toward the sheep, engulfing it into flames. However, that very action was the end of the fire dragon because the fireballs pulled the flames away from his body, making him burn out quickly. The sheep, of course, reverted back to the sock as it burst into flame, its ashes scattering in the breeze.

"That was totally wicked!" Fred exclaimed in amazement.

"I wonder how many of those you could make at once," said Charlie thoughtfully.

"You could take out the entire Death Eater army with these bad babies if you wanted, Harry," said George.

Harry just looked down at the ground. He didn't know if he wanted to use his magic like that. Yes, the Death Eaters needed to be stopped, but could he really kill someone with his power? Harry honestly didn't think he could do it. Perhaps, though, if he could learn to control the ice and earth elements better, he could use them to trap and capture the Death Eaters instead of killing them. The only problem with that, though, was that there was always a counter to each element, and it was even more difficult to trap a wizard because they could always apparate out of said cage.

Harry sighed softly. Maybe elemental magic was the wrong way to go. Rune Magic and Blood Magic would probably be more effective because he could manipulate them in his favour, but that would require luring Voldemort and his army to the place the runes were carved. Of course, warding could also be useful. He'd learned to cast dozens of different wards in the last four months, but there were still thousands of wards he had yet to learn. He wondered if he could find or create a ward that would neutralise the magic of anyone wearing a Dark Mark. If he could do that, the only one he'd really need to worry about would be Voldemort himself.

"Harry, you still have plenty of time to come up with a way to defeat your dark wizard," said Zenith softly. "And you know that we'll help in any way we can, so don't worry so much about it right now."

Tristan scowled at the three Weasley's for putting Harry in that state. "Besides, Christmas is only a few days away. You should be happily guessing what we got you for Christmas instead of worrying about that loser wizard."

"You'll never guess what I got you, though," said Octavius smugly.

Harry's ears perked up at the challenge. "Is it useful or fun?"

"Not telling," said Octavius with a playful smirk.

"Come on, Octavius. Give me a hint, at least," said Harry, looking up at the shadow demon with wide green eyes.

Octavius quickly turned his back on Harry to keep from giving in to the adorable kit. "Nope. You have to figure it out on your own."

Harry pouted slightly before turning to give Tristan his wide-eyed look. "What did you get me, Tristan?"

Tristan froze briefly at the intensity of the stare and quickly closed his eyes. "That's cheating, Harry. You have to guess."

Harry looked at Zenith only to burst out laughing. The poor Dracken had taken the easy way out and had transformed into his dragon form. "Fine, you win. I won't pester you about my gifts. Now change back so we can go back to the house for lunch. I'm starving."

Zenith immediately transformed back and draped his arm around the brunet's shoulders. "Then let's go eat."

The three Weasley's watched the four head back to the cottage in silence. A moment later, though, Fred snickered softly. "Our Harry has those three wrapped around his little finger."

George laughed, too. "I know. Did you see how they reacted to that look Harry gave them. Hell, Zenith even turned into a dragon to keep from caving into that look."

"I want to ride a dragon, too," Charlie suddenly wailed. It was so unfair. He'd worked with dragons all of his adult life, and he'd never gotten to ride a single dragon while Harry, who'd shown almost no interest in dragons, had his very own personal dragon to ride.

Fred and George looked at Charlie for a long moment before bursting into laughter. "You and your dragon obsession, Charlie. Maybe we can convince Zenith to introduce you to another Dracken or something one of these days."

"You think so?" asked Charlie hopefully.

The twins just shrugged. "We'll ask him after lunch."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ginny slowly opened her eyes, wincing as they were immediately pierced with bright sunlight. She sat up quickly only to hiss in pain as a sharp pain ripped through her head at the abrupt movement. The sharp pain quickly subsided to a more manageable pain, but she still felt dizzy and a bit nauseated.

"Oh, I feel sick," groaned Ginny, rubbing her stomach in an attempt to ease her nausea. It didn't work, though, and she finally decided to do something about it. Perhaps she could get a Pepper-up potion or something from her mum or Bill to help her feel better.

Ginny gingerly crawled out of bed and stumbled to her trunk, pulling out a change of clothes. However, by the time she was dressed, she felt thoroughly exhausted. What was wrong with her? She'd never felt this weak before in her life. Another surge of nausea swept through her, and she staggered toward the door. Maybe she was coming down with the flu.

Walking out of her room, Ginny headed straight for the kitchen since that was the most likely place to find her mother. However, she slowed down slightly when she heard quiet voices as she neared the living room and peeked into the room. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Harry and Octavius sitting together on the sofa, talking quietly. Ignoring her nausea for the moment, she crept closer to the door, careful to keep out of sight, curious to hear what they were talking so intently about.

"Are you coming back after Christmas?" asked Harry softly.

"If I can," said Octavius, idly running his hand through Harry's dark hair. "But it will probably be after New Year's before I can return. I'm sure my father will insist that I spend the entire week with the family. Hopefully, that's the extent of the time I'll have to endure with them."

"Do you plan to leave tonight or in the morning?" asked Harry.

Octavius sighed. "Unfortunately, I have to leave tonight after we exchange gifts. If I'm not at home on Christmas morning when everyone else wakes up, my step-mother will throw a fit."

"Then I guess we'll have to make the most of Christmas Eve then," said Harry.

"Christmas Eve!" shouted Ginny, startling the other two teens. "What are you talking about? Christmas isn't for another two days." She immediately regretted her outburst as her head exploded in pain and the nausea kicked up a notch. She groaned softly and rubbed her temples, sighing in relief when the pain eased off a bit.

"Ginny, you're awake!" said Harry, jumping to his feet and hurrying over to Ginny. "It's about time. You've been asleep for two days now, and I was beginning to worry that something may have gone wrong after Marissa healed you."

"Healed me?" asked Ginny, staring at Harry in confusion. If someone had healed her, why the bloody hell did she feel so terrible now? "I don't think they did such a good job then. I feel horrible. My head's killing me, and I feel sick to my stomach."

Harry frowned worriedly at that response and placed the back of his hand against Ginny's forehead. "Well, you don't seem to be running a fever."

"It's probably just the aftereffects," said Octavius calmly, walking up behind Harry and pulling the brunet into his arms. "Healing something like that is bound to have some kind of side effect."

"Something like what?" asked Ginny impatiently. All of these little half-answers were seriously beginning to annoy her.

Octavius ignored Ginny's question and leaned down until his chin rested on Harry's shoulder, pressing gentle kisses against the brunet's neck and cheek. Harry's breath hitched slightly, and he automatically tilted his head, baring more of his neck for the shadow demon. Every slow glide of Octavius' lips against his sensitive neck sent shivers through his body. Ginny's presence didn't even register with Octavius surrounding his senses as he was.

Ginny scowled, irritated at being completely ignored. "Something like what?" she demanded again. When Harry just blinked dazedly at her, she growled in frustration. "Harry!"

Harry jumped in surprise, snapping out of his daze. "What? Did you say something?"

Ginny looked at him for a moment before snickering slightly. "Now that I finally have your attention, tell me what's going on. Why did I even need a healer in the first place?"

"That's something you need to ask your Mum," said Harry softly. "Come on. She's in the kitchen preparing breakfast."

As Harry started toward the kitchen, Octavius caught him around the waist and pulled him into a quick kiss. Harry looked up at the shadow demon and asked, "What was that for?"

"I had to have something to fortify me, so that I could deal with everyone without the desire to commit murder," said Octavius teasingly. "Tristan's such a grumpy bear in the morning, and Bill is disgustingly cheerful these days."

Harry grinned and pressed another quick kiss to Octavius' lips. "Well, that should last you a while then."

Ginny couldn't help but feel a little envious of the pair. She wanted someone to love her like that. "You're so lucky, Harry," she whispered softly. The shadow demon glanced toward her, and she gave him a fierce look. "Just know that if you ever hurt him, I'll return it to you threefold."

"Understood," said Octavius, his deep voice breaking Harry out of his daze.

"Understand what?" asked Harry curiously.

"You are so clueless, Harry," sighed Ginny fondly.

"But he's just so damn cute, it's easy to overlook," said Octavius, smirking at the brunet.

"Hey!" said Harry indignantly. He scowled up at Octavius. "You're not cute at all."

"Of course not," said Octavius easily. "I'm what is referred to as devilishly handsome."

"The devilish part is certainly accurate," muttered Harry.

Ginny snickered and poked Harry in the side. "Just admit it, Harry. You like the devilish part of him."

"I admit nothing of the sort," said Harry haughtily.

Ginny just smiled and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him toward the kitchen. "Whatever, Harry. Denial will get you nowhere. Now come on. I still need to get something for this accursed headache." She stopped abruptly and looked at Harry. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's almost ten, but your mum should still be making breakfast right now. We've been eating a late breakfast every morning the last two days because everyone's been so worried about you," said Harry.

Ginny smiled and nodded before continuing to the kitchen. As she neared the kitchen, the scent of bacon, sausage, and eggs hit her nose, and her stomach protested harshly. Dropping Harry's arm, she gingerly rubbed her stomach, hoping to keep the nausea at bay until she could get something to sooth her stomach.

Mrs. Weasley noticed them as soon as they stepped into the kitchen, and she gave a happy cry as she rushed to hug her daughter. "Ginny, I'm so glad you're awake." She dragged Ginny to the table and pushed her down into a chair. She then quickly prepared a plate of food for her daughter and set it down in front of her. "Here you go, dear. I'm sure you positively famished right now."

Ginny groaned softly, covering her mouth quickly when the smell of sausage made her stomach rebel. "I feel sick to my stomach, and I have a killer headache, Mum. Do you know if Bill has any nausea and pain potions here?"

"Of course, dear," said Molly quickly. She hurried to the potions cupboard and pulled out two potions, passing them to her daughter.

Ginny gratefully gulped the potions down, gagging slightly at the taste. To her relief, the potions took affect almost immediately, and her headache and nausea disappeared as if it was never there. And with her nausea gone, her stomach suddenly growled loudly, demanding food. She took a tentative bite of sausage, hoping the nausea from earlier wouldn't return. After several small bites without her stomach protesting, Ginny began to dig into her food more earnestly.

"Sit down and eat something, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, staring at the brunet in exasperation. "You don't eat nearly enough, young man."

Harry sighed in resignation and sat down in the empty seat beside Zenith with Octavius taking the seat on his other side. Mrs. Weasley immediately set a full plate in front of him, much to his dismay. There was no way he was going to be able to eat all this. He glanced speculatively at Zenith's empty plate before looking up at the Dracken with wide, pleading green eyes.

Zenith hid a smile and stealthily stole a piece of sausage off of Harry's plate. Harry smiled gratefully at him and quickly spooned some of his scrambled eggs and a piece of toast onto Zenith's plate, as well. Now that a quarter of his breakfast was gone, he began to nibble on his food, sneakily giving some of the rest of it to his kits, who were sitting contentedly at his feet.

Mrs. Weasley, of course, saw everything and just sighed in exasperation. The boy would never gain any weight if he kept giving all of his food away. She guessed it was expected, though. From what Ron had told her over the years, Harry had gotten precious little food while growing up. It was only when he was at school or with the Weasley's that he got a decent amount of food.

"That was delicious as always, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry cheerfully after he'd cleaned his plate.

"I'm glad you liked it, dear. Do you want seconds?" she asked, knowing he would decline.

"No, thank you. I'm positively stuffed," said Harry quickly.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at the brunet. "Then shoo. I have to clean the kitchen and start preparing for the Christmas feast."

"Speaking of Christmas, what exactly happened to me?" asked Ginny abruptly. "What was wrong with me? Why did I need to be healed?"

Mrs. Weasley sighed softly and sat down at the table across from her daughter. "It's hard for me to say this, so I'll just be blunt. You were under the influence of dark magic from the time You-Know-Who possessed you four years ago."

"W-What?" asked Ginny, staring at her mother incredulously. "That's impossible. I haven't done anything to help him since Harry destroyed the diary."

"It wasn't your actions the dark magic controlled," said Mrs. Weasley gently. "It was influencing your emotions." At Ginny's continued look of disbelief, Molly took a deep breath and continued. "Tell me, Ginny, who is to blame for Sirius' death?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. You know that, Mum," said Ginny impatiently.

Molly nodded. "I do know that, but just a few days ago, you said that Harry was to blame- that if Harry hadn't gone to the Ministry in the first place, Sirius would still be alive."

Despite knowing that Ginny was under the influence of dark magic at the time, Harry couldn't help but look at the redheaded girl with wide, betrayed eyes at hearing that. Although Remus, Ron, and Hermione constantly tried to tell him Sirius' death wasn't his fault, deep inside he knew that it was his own foolishness that had gotten Sirius killed. Hearing that Ginny felt the same just furthered his guilt.

Ginny flinched at the betrayed look Harry gave her. The memories of the past few days suddenly flooded her mind, and she was horrified with herself. Not only had she acted like a total harlot toward Harry and his suitors, she'd actively tried to drive a wedge between them in her determination to bind Harry to her.

Ginny felt nauseated and bolted from her seat, running to the bathroom and dropping to the floor in front of the toilet. She retched miserably, the memories of her dark deeds making her stomach roil unpleasantly. A cool flannel was pressed against the back of her neck, and she feebly looked back to find Harry pressing the flannel against her skin.

"How can you even stand to be in the same room as me?" she asked the brunet miserably.

"You were a child when Voldemort possessed you, and unfortunately, no one really knew how to deal with the aftermath of your possession," said Harry softly. "Everyone, myself included, just assumed that destroying the diary fixed everything. It was only when Octavius, who can see shadows, noticed that you had remnants of dark magic clinging to you that we realised the extent of what that possession caused. Fortunately, Tristan's aunt is a Fae healer, and she was willing to remove the tainted magic from your body, freeing you from the dark magic's influence."

"Are you sure it's really gone?" asked Ginny timidly.

Harry smiled slightly. "Octavius said there are no more shadows clinging to you." His smile dropped, and he gave her a stern look. "So no more trying to seduce me or my suitors. We are off the market, so to speak."

Ginny blushed fiercely and covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I did all that. I've been dating Dean Thomas since the end of my fourth year." She suddenly jumped to her feet with a gasp of horror. "Oh no, I haven't written Dean a single letter since we got here."

Harry snickered softly and pushed her lightly toward the door. "Then you'd better start writing before he thinks you don't want him anymore and finds someone else."

Ginny gave him a scandalised look and ran out of the door. 'Dean had better not be looking for someone else,' she silently fumed, as she stormed back to her room.

XxX

Harry smiled happily as everyone gathered in front of the Christmas tree to exchange gifts. Zenith sat in the floor in front of him while Tristan and Octavius sat on either side of him. Bill and Remus sat close together on the loveseat, and Hermione and Ron were cuddled together on the floor. Charlie looked a little lonely, sitting by himself in a chair, and Harry resolved to introduce him to Grey and Gillian when they visited on New Years'.

George tossed a large, brightly wrapped gift into Harry's lap. "This is from Mum and Dad."

Harry eagerly tore into the gift, revealing his yearly green sweater and a ton of homemade sweets and meat pies. He grinned widely and pulled the sweater out, pulling it on immediately. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

"You're very welcome, dear," said Molly happily. At least one of her children was truly appreciative of the effort she put into those sweaters.

Fred suddenly tossed a gift in Harry's lap with a wide grin. "Here, Harry. This is from me and George."

Harry looked at the gift a little warily before tearing the wrapping paper off. He slowly opened the box and blushed fiercely, slamming the box closed. "What in the world were you two thinking?" He yelped in surprise as Octavius snatched the box out of his hands and peeked inside. "Hey! Give that back!"

Octavius just gave him a lecherous grin and calmly handed the box back to the brunet. He leaned closer to Harry and whispered, "I expect you to model that for me sometime in the near future."

Harry blushed even more and hissed softly, "In your dreams. I'm not ever putting this thing on."

"Come on, Harry. Let us see what you got," said Ron.

"Absolutely not!" snapped Harry, clutching the box to his chest. "Someone else open a gift already!"

Fred grinned and tossed a gift to Octavius. "Here's your gift from the Weasley family." He then tossed a smaller gift to the shadow demon. "And that one is from me and George. Enjoy."

Octavius opened the bigger gift first and pulled out a black sweater. He smiled at Mrs. Weasley and said, "Thank you for the gift. It's lovely."

"You're welcome, dear," said Molly happily.

Octavius then eagerly opened the gift the twins had given him. He was a little disappointed to see a box of prank items until he saw something underneath the items. He shoved everything else aside and smirked. Perfect.

"This is great. Thanks a lot," said Octavius with a sly smirk in Harry's direction.

"You're welcome. Use them well," said the twins slyly.

"What did you get?" asked Harry cautiously.

"I'll show you later," said Octavius smugly.

Fred and George quickly tossed two gifts into Tristan and Zenith's laps. "Enjoy, mates."

Zenith opened the larger gift and pulled out a dark blue sweater while Tristan had a white sweater in his box. However, neither of them even attempted to open the smaller gifts, choosing to wait until they were alone to see what devious gifts the twins had gotten them. They'd also seen the dark look of retribution Remus had aimed at the twins' backs , and they had no desire whatsoever of having that look aimed at them.

Harry just sighed in relief. If Octavius' reaction to the twins' gift was anything to go by, he was glad Zenith and Tristan had refrained from opening their gift from the fiendish duo. Those two were obviously bound and determined to embarrass the hell out of him today.

Once Fred and George had given out all of their gifts, Harry quickly got to his feet. "My turn now." He pointed to the stack of presents he'd placed under the tree and levitated them into the air, sending each gift to its proper owner before sitting back down.

"When did you learn wandless magic, Harry," asked Hermione excitedly, ignoring the gift in her lap to interrogate her friend.

"We're not allowed to bring wands to Arcane Academy, Hermione," said Harry easily. "And those who do require a focus of some sort usually use gemstones to channel their magic."

"Oh! Is that why you're wearing that amethyst pendant?" asked Hermione curiously.

Harry shook his head. "My magi professor gave me this because amethyst helps calm and focus the mind rather than my actual magic. In other words, it helps to keep me focussed so that I can focus my magic." When Hermione opened her mouth to ask more questions, Harry held up his hand to forestall her. "We still have two weeks of vacation, Hermione. I'll answer your questions later. Right now, we still have gifts to open."

Hermione grudgingly dropped her questions and opened her gift. She gasped in shock when she saw what was inside. "You got me my own copy of _Most Potente Potions_! Thank you so much, Harry."

"I've actually started to like potions myself, Hermione. Without Snape constantly breathing down my neck and belittling everything I do, I've discovered that I'm quite good at potions, which is a good thing considering who my partner is," said Harry.

"Who is your partner?" asked Octavius curiously.

"Grey," said Harry ruefully.

"You mean that hyper were-tiger that's constantly chasing after you?" asked Octavius with a hint of a growl in his voice.

"That's him," sighed Tristan. "It's a wonder the little pest hasn't managed to blow himself up yet. The only reason he's passed so far is because he lucked out with his partner each year."

"He's not that bad," said Harry with a smile. "Our potions have turned out quite well this year. The professor said our Verituserum was almost perfect."

"Oh, I'm so jealous," said Hermione enviously. "The hardest potion we've brewed this year was the Draught of Living Death."

"Who cares about potions," said Ron. "It's Christmas time. We'll never get all these gifts unwrapped if you two don't stop dragging school into the conversation." With that said, he quickly ripped the wrapping off of his gift and opened the box. He frowned slightly at the sight of a book in the box and slowly pulled it out. "A book, Harry?"

Harry smirked at the redhead. "Oh, but that's not just any book, Ron. That book is special. Open it up."

Ron shrugged and did as asked.

"Now touch the page and watch what happens," said Harry eagerly.

Ron looked at Harry as though he was crazy before slowly laying his palm against the page. Immediately, a bright light flashed before his eyes, blinding in intensity, and when he could see again, he found himself flying through the air on a broom. Looking around quickly, he gasped in shock when he saw all the players of his favourite team, the Chudley Cannons, flying through the air with him. A quaffle suddenly flew through the air toward him, and he caught it in his hand, flying quickly toward the goal. Just as he threw the quaffle toward the goal, he found himself back in the living room with the book lying closed in his lap.

"Aw, man. I was just about to score," said Ron with a pout. He then grinned at Harry. "That was awesome, Harry. Thanks, mate."

"What was that exactly?" asked Hermione curiously.

"It's a new kind of book that came out recently called interactive sports," Harry explained. "It's kind of like a mini pensieve on every page. It allows you to participate in a quidditch game of whatever team is on that particular page."

"I played quidditch with the Chudley Cannons," said Ron dreamily.

"Yes, we know," said Harry. He looked at Remus and grinned. "You next, Moony."

Remus opened his gift and found two books, one on Shamanic magic and one on Lunar magic. He picked up the book on Lunar magic and slowly flipped through it, eyes widening in surprise at the information he read.

Bill reached over and picked up the book on Shamanic magic. Flipping to the index, he slowly smiled as he read. This was the perfect gift for Remus. "This should help your monthly transformations a great deal, Remus."

Remus just nodded, clutching the book to his chest.

Bill snickered softly at Remus' reaction and quickly opened his own gift. He reached in a pulled out a silver pendant with a jade scarab. Looking at the scarab closely, he saw tiny hierogliphs engraved into the jade. He quickly translated the writing and smiled when he realised that they were protection runes. "Thanks, Harry. It's perfect."

The rest of the Weasley's soon had their gifts opened, revealing a silver pendant with a black dragon made entirely of dragon scales for Charlie, a new floral print tea set for Molly, a remote control car (charmed to work on magic rather than batteries) for Arthur, and a whole box of prank items for Fred and George. The twins grinned widely at their gift and asked, "Where did you get these? We've never heard of any of these items."

"My friend Gillian got some of them for me, and Grey got the rest," said Harry. "Don't ask me where they got them because they wouldn't tell me."

"I guess it's our turn then," said Zenith cheerfully. He unwrapped his gift and stared into the box for a long moment before pulling out a silver pocket watch with an engraved fox on the front. He opened the watch and smiled when he saw an arrow with Harry's name pointing to a small wedge with 'home' written in it. There were several other destinations, such as class, library, dorm, with Tristan, with Octavius, dining hall, travelling, courtyard, and mortal peril.

"You can add as many names as you like, but it's to let you know where I am if you ever need me," said Harry quickly.

"And the mortal peril bit?" asked Zenith.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "That's if I'm ever in trouble, and with my luck, it's bound to happen eventually."

"That is certainly true," muttered Mrs. Weasley. "You just don't know how many times I've looked at our clock at home and seen Harry's name on that particular section of the clock."

"I hope you gave me one of those, too," said Tristan, unwrapping his present quickly. He grinned when he saw a similar pocket watch in his box, but his had a flame engraved on the front.

Octavius opened his gift, but instead of the expected watch, he found a silver locket. He slowly lifted the locket out of the box, feeling a little disappointed. It was obvious to him that Harry didn't want his whereabouts known to the shadow demon.

Harry felt a little disheartened by Octavius' lack of enthusiasm with his gift. "You don't like it. I guess I should have gone with the watch after all. It's just that, you already have a way of being able to find me, so I wanted to give you something special. That's why I chose the locket. If you open it-" Harry stopped speaking as Octavius opened the locket, watching the demon's face closely for his reaction.

Octavius' eyes widened in surprise as a small fox-shaped flame hovered nimbly above the open locket. The flames turned a dark grey, and Octavius looked at Harry for an explanation.

"It's an elemental spell," said Harry. "It's kind of like a fiery mood ring, only the flames reflect my mood since they're linked to me."

"And what does this colour mean?" asked Octavius curiously.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I'm nervous."

"Don't be. I love it," said Octavius sincerely. Immediately, the flame turned a dark blue, corresponding with the happy smile on Harry's face. He gently closed the locket and fastened it around his neck. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box, handing it to Harry. "I was going to wait to give you this, but I want you to go ahead and open it today."

Harry opened the gift and pulled out a silver pendant with a glass orb attached. Inside the orb, swirling shadows flitted around restlessly. He snickered slightly at the gift. He'd actually expected something like this from the shadow demon, and that was why he'd given Octavius the locket rather than a pocket watch.

"What's so funny, Harry?" asked Hermione curiously.

"He figured Octavius would give him something like that, that's all," said Zenith softly, knowing exactly what the brunet found so funny.

"And why is that?" asked Ron.

"Because the bloody demon has stalkerish tendencies, that's why," muttered Tristan.

Harry ignored them and smiled at Octavius. "It's beautiful, Octavius."

"It's spelled to be unbreakable, and once you put it on, it will be keyed to your magical signature so that only you may remove the necklace," said Octavius.

"It's perfect," said Harry sincerely.

Octavius summoned several other gifts from underneath the tree and passed them out, handing Harry another wrapped gift. "This is also for you."

Harry unwrapped the gift and grinned in delight. In the box was an assortment of sweets and chocolates from all around the world. He turned to Octavius and pressed an enthusiastic kiss on the demon's lips. Before the other teen could really respond to the surprise kiss, though, Harry pulled back with a grin. "Thank you so much, Octavius. I love it."

"If I had known candy was all it took to get that response, I'd have given it to you a long time ago," said Octavius teasingly.

"This is not candy, Octavius. This is nectar from the gods," said Harry primly, opening a box of Swiss chocolates and popping one into his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned softly as the rich milk chocolate melted on his tongue.

Octavius suddenly grabbed the back of Harry's head and pulled him into a deep kiss. The lingering taste of chocolate combined with a taste that was all Harry hit his senses, making him growl softly for more. However, a moment later, Harry was pulled forcibly from his arms by a scowling Tristan.

"Cut it out, Octavius. We have presents to give out, as well."

Octavius scowled at the redhead, wanting nothing more than to punch him in the face for interrupting his wonderful kiss with Harry, but a simple smile from said brunet kept his violent tendencies in check. He finally sighed and sent several other gifts flying to their respective owners. "Enjoy."

Ron opened his gift and pulled out a box of chocolates, ripping into the box eagerly and popping one into his mouth. "Bloody hell, this is some good chocolate."

"You and your stomach," said Hermione with fond exasperation. She looked at Octavius and smiled. "Thank you for the chocolates."

"My turn now," said Tristan impatiently. He summoned a large box out from under the tree and handed it to Harry along with a smaller box that he pulled from his pocket.

Harry opened the big box first, eyes widening in surprise at the sheer amount of cakes and pies in the box. There had to be at least ten different types of cakes and ten different types of pies here.

"Well, what is it?" asked Ron curiously.

Harry grinned at the redhead smugly and handed the box over. Ron looked into the box and gasped in shock. He then looked at Tristan and asked, "Will you marry me?"

"Ron!" Hermione spluttered with a laugh.

"What? If I can expect these kinds of gifts on a regular basis, I can overlook the fact that he's male," said Ron reasonably.

At the shocked look on Tristan's face, Harry burst into laughter. "Just ignore him, Tristan. He thinks with his stomach more than he does with his brain."

Tristan shook his head in bemusement and decided to follow Harry's advice and just ignore the redhead. "Open the other gift."

Harry quickly opened the smaller box and pulled out a glass orb. "What is it?"

"It's a communication orb," Tristan explained. He pulled out a matching orb from his pocket and said, "Harry Potter." The orb in Harry's hand began to glow and Tristan's face appeared within the orb. He summoned several more packages from the under the tree and sent one to Hermione, Ron, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Octavius, and Zenith. "Now you can keep in touch with your family without the risk of your former Headmaster from finding out."

Harry smiled widely and kissed the faerie briefly. "Thank you so much, Tristan. It's perfect."

"I guess it's my turn then," said Zenith softly. He handed Harry a small gift. "Open this one first."

Harry eagerly unwrapped the gift and pulled out a thin black wristband with a large black stone in the centre. On either side of the black stone, silver runes were etched into the wristband, and Harry looked at them curiously. He recognised two protection runes, but there were several runes he didn't recognise. "What do these runes mean?" he asked, pointing them out.

"I'll get to that in a minute," said Zenith. "First, though, you need to add a drop of blood to the black stone."

Harry shrugged and pricked his finger, allowing a drop of blood to splash onto the stone. Immediately, the stone began to glow, and when the light faded, the black stone had turned a bright silver.

"Now that the wristband is keyed to your magical signature, just say 'Talbot, rise,' and watch what happens," said Zenith.

"Talbot, rise," said Harry hesitantly. Instantly, the stone began to glow once more, and a small dragon appeared from the stone. It was about the size of a large dog with shiny black scales and large golden eyes. The dragon took one look at Harry and cooed softly, nuzzling it's snout against Harry's cheek. Harry grinned in delight and stroked the dragon's smooth scales, laughing softly when the dragon rumbled in contentment.

"This is Talbot, my dragon familiar. Despite his size, though, he's a full-grown dragon. He's just a rare pygmy dragon," Zenith explained. "As for your original question, most of the runes are linking spells and transportation spells, so that you can call Talbot if you're ever in trouble, and I'm not there."

"He's gorgeous, Zenith," said Harry happily. "Thank you."

"When you're ready to send him back, just say 'Talbot, desist,' and he will be transported back through the stone," said Zenith. As soon as he said that, though, Talbot turned his head and growled at Zenith before turning back to nuzzle Harry affectionately. "You may have a hard time getting rid of him now, though. He really seems to like you, Harry."

"The feeling is certainly mutual," said Harry, stroking his fingers down the length of Talbot's snout.

"Then if you don't mind him following you around like a little lost puppy, he can just stay with you for the time being. I have a wristband, as well, so I can still call him to my side if I need him."

"You want to stay with me, Talbot?" asked Harry eagerly. Talbot rumbled softly and nuzzled Harry's cheek again, wrapping his tail around the brunet's wrist. "I'll take that as a yes."

Harry finally remembered the other gift and quickly unwrapped it. When he saw the contents inside, he burst out laughing. "Is this a hint or something? Do all three of you think I don't eat enough?" Several packages of cookies and fudge lay in the box.

"It's not that really," said Zenith. "It's just that we noticed that you have a bit of a sweet tooth, so we wanted to get you something useful as well as something you would just enjoy. So we collaborated with the sweets. Octavius chose chocolate, Tristan chose cakes and pies, and I chose cookies and fudge."

Harry leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Zenith's forehead. "I do enjoy my gifts. Thank you, Zenith."

"You're welcome," said Zenith.

XxX

"I'll try to be back before New Year's," said Octavius softly, shrinking his trunk and tucking it in his pocket. "Call me on the communication orb if you need me for anything."

"I will," Harry promised. He handed Octavius a small, wrapped box. "Give this to Claudius for me."

"What is it?" asked Octavius curiously.

Harry smiled impishly. "A box of the twins' trick candies. They're highly entertaining."

Octavius snickered. He was looking forward to seeing what they would do. "I'll make sure he gets it." His smile fell away, and he sighed softly. He pulled Harry into a tight hug. "Damn, I've got to go. I'll be back soon." Pressing a quick kiss to Harry's lips, Octavius reluctantly stepped into the shadows and disappeared.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Severus growled grumpily when he was awakened by the sound of tapping at his bedroom window. He scowled blackly at the irritating nuisance ruining his Christmas morning and reluctantly got out of bed to let the owl in. The owl flew past Severus with a loud hoot and dropped a large parcel on the table before flying out the window again.

Severus stared at the box suspiciously. He hadn't owl-ordered anything recently, and the only ones who ever sent him Christmas gifts were Minerva and Filius. However, they always gave him his gift in person, so it most likely wasn't from them, either.

Sighing softly, Severus slowly reached for the box and carefully opened it, half expecting it to blow up in his face or for something to jump out at him. When nothing of the sort actually happened, Severus peered cautiously into the box only to gape in astonishment. Inside the box were dozens of labeled potions phials. He lifted one out and felt his jaw drop in shock. The phial was labeled, "Dracken Blood,' an incredibly rare ingredient. Looking at several other phials, he found Dark Elf blood and hair, Were-tiger blood and fangs, Incubus blood and scales, Kitiara blood and fur, Dracken scales, Fae blood and hair, and Shadow Demon blood and hair. This was a veritable fortune in rare ingredients.

Severus saw an envelope lying in the bottom of the box and eagerly pulled it out to see who he had to thank for this treasure trove of ingredients. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter, eyes widening in shock when he saw who wrote it. Needless to say, the writer was the last person he would ever expect to send him something like this.

_Professor Snape, _

_I know you would probably prefer to never hear from me again, but I just wanted to send you something as a thank you for saving my life once more this summer. I hope you like them and that the ingredients will be useful to you. Oh, and they were all freely given, of course._

_Thanks again, Professor. You helped to give me a new life. I'm not running away from my old life, though. I still plan to defeat Voldemort. I'm just going to get some better training before I do._

_Good luck at Hogwarts and stay safe._

_Sincerely, Harry Potter_

Severus could only stare blankly at the letter. Never in a million years had he expected something like this from Potter. Where had he even managed to find such rare ingredients? Severus finally just shrugged and carefully stored the phials away. This was one time he wouldn't look a gift horse in the face. Besides, he didn't really care where the brat had gotten them. They were his now, and that was all that mattered. He almost rubbed his hands in glee at the prospect of using his new potions ingredients. Unfortunately, it would have to wait, though. Lunch was in two hours, and his presence was required in the Great Hall.

Deciding to make the most of his two hour reprieve from hell, otherwise known as Christmas dinner, Severus took a long, relaxing bath. After thirty minutes of soaking and three heating charms on the water, he reluctantly got out of the bath and got dressed. He wasn't going to leave the sanctity of his rooms any sooner than he absolutely had to, so he decided to read in front of the fire. However, he got so absorbed with his book, it was only when Dobby popped into his room that he realised what time it was.

"Master Snape be required in Great Hall by Dubbydore."

"Tell the Headmaster I'm on my way," said Severus irritably.

Dobby nodded quickly and popped out of the room.

Severus sighed softly and headed to the Great Hall. Every bloody year, the old codger insisted that on Christmas Day all the professors just had to eat lunch with the remaining students, declaring that the joyous holiday should be celebrated together. Personally, Severus believed that Albus only insisted on it because he knew that Severus would rather eat glass than to look at the wretched brats.

Unsurprisingly, Severus was the last professor to arrive. He walked up to the Great Table and handed Minerva and Filius their gifts. Minerva smiled and handed him a gift, as well. "Happy Christmas, Severus."

"Happy Christmas, Minerva," Severus grudgingly replied. "It would be a much happier Christmas if I wasn't forced to be here at the moment, though."

"That's just because you would much rather be with your beloved potions," said Filius cheekily, handing Severus a brightly wrapped gift. "Happy Christmas."

Severus just nodded and sat down to eat. The sooner he was finished with lunch, the sooner he could test those new potions ingredients. Unfortunately, Albus seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and dragged Christmas dinner out as long as he possibly could. By the time the desserts appeared on the table, Severus was about ready to strangle the old coot to put him out of everyone's misery. Even the students looked bored now.

Severus sighed loudly and drummed his fingers against the table. He wished the old man would just shut up and let him leave. He had new potions ingredients to try out. Lost in thought, he didn't hear Albus saying his name until Filius jabbed him sharply in the side. He looked up with a scowl only to see the Headmaster staring at him expectantly.

"Did you say something, Albus?"

A brief look of irritation crossed the Headmaster's face, but it was gone in a flash, replaced by a benign smile. "What's on your mind, dear boy?"

Severus repressed the urge to roll his eyes at the question and simply said, "An old friend of mine sent me some rare potions ingredients today, and I'm eager to try them out."

"Well, I'm afraid that will have to wait a while longer, Severus," said Albus with false regret. "I have something else I need you to do today."

Barely resisting the urge to growl at the irritating old coot, Severus clenched his teeth and raised a brow in question.

"I need you to go to Egypt," said Albus calmly.

Severus finally lost the battle. "Why in Merlin's name do you need me to go to that Merlin forsaken desert?" he growled out angrily.

"I believe that the Weasley's are hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is," said Albus bluntly.

Severus scowled at the Headmaster. "That's it? You want me to travel to bloody Egypt just because the Weasley's don't tell you every bloody thing in their hearts?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Severus," snapped Albus, quickly erecting a privacy bubble around them. "I think they may know where Harry is, or at least a vague idea if nothing else. Since you know Legilimency, I want you to scan their thoughts for any information that pertains to the boy. He must be found at all costs."

"What is this really about, Albus?" Severus demanded. "That brat is hardly worth all this effort. Why are you really chasing after him so determinedly?"

"That brat is the only one who can kill Voldemort, Severus. I need him back if we want any chance of winning this war," said Albus quickly.

"If that's true, why haven't you bothered to train him?" asked Severus. "How can you expect a mere child to stand any chance against the Dark Lord?"

Albus smirked. "I don't. I fully expect Voldemort to kill the brat, and when he does, I'll be there to finish him off."

"But you just said that Potter was the only one who could kill him," said Severus, hiding a sneer of disgust at the Headmaster's words.

"That's the beauty of it, Severus. Potter's death will effectively kill Voldemort because Potter is nothing more than a horcrux," said Albus smugly.

"A horcrux?" whispered Severus in horror. "That's why he has the connection with the Dark Lord?"

Albus nodded. "Yes, Potter is one of seven horcruxes. I have already managed to find and dispose of two of them, and I have a good idea of where the remaining four are. Once they are destroyed, and Voldemort kills Potter, he'll be as mortal as the rest of us."

Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Albus Dumbledore, the so-called leader of the Light, was talking about a child's death as calmly as he would refer to the weather. Where had the benevolent leader he had known all his life gone? Or had the benevolence been nothing but a façade from the beginning? It didn't matter, though, because Severus had no intentions of playing into the man's insanity. He would keep Potter's whereabouts hidden from Albus no matter what he had to do to do so.

Severus pushed away from the table, breaking the privacy charm. "Excuse me, Headmaster. I have several preparations to make if I am going to Egypt today." Without waiting for any acknowledgement from Albus, Severus stalked from the Great hall. He didn't even bother going back to his quarters before leaving the castle.

Apparating directly to the Leaky Cauldron, Severus stalked to Gringotts with a black scowl on his face. He requested a portkey to the Egyptian branch of Gringotts and had the portkey in hand less than fifteen minutes later. Activating the portkey, he grunted slightly at the pull on his navel and closed his eyes to block out the spinning world around him. Severus felt the portkey begin to descend and braced himself, easily retaining his footing upon landing.

Giving the used portkey to one of the goblins, Severus stalked out of the bank. He went straight to the owl post just down from the bank and wrote Bill a letter, informing the curse-breaker of his arrival. Finding a suitable shade, Severus waited impatiently for Bill to arrive. By the time he saw the redhead walking toward him, Severus was hot, sweaty, and very cranky.

"It's about time you got here," snapped Severus irritably. "I don't know how you stand this bloody desert."

Bill just smiled at the irate Potions Master. "Sorry, Severus. I was a little...busy when the letter arrived."

Severus rolled his eyes at the redhead. "I do not want to hear about your exploits, William. Just take me to the cottage. I have news for everyone."

Bill immediately sobered at that. "Follow me." Bill led the way to the cottage and ushered Severus through the front door. "Kitchen now, everyone."

Ron barrelled out of his room and hurried to the kitchen only to stumble over his own feet, crashing to the floor in a pile of gangly limbs at the sight of his hated Potions Professor. "P-Professor Snape, what are you doing here?" he asked nervously as he quickly climbed to his feet.

"Graceful as ever, Mr. Weasley," was all Severus said.

Ron flushed with anger and stomped past Severus into the kitchen. "Why did he have to show up on Christmas Day of all days? The whole day's been ruined now."

"Hush, Ronald," reprimanded Mrs. Weasley.

"You agree with me, don't you, mate?" asked Ron loudly.

Severus sighed at his student's juvenile behaviour and walked into the kitchen. He glanced at the table to glare at Ron, and his jaw dropped in shock. There was Potter, which wasn't shocking in itself, but this was a Potter he'd never seen before. No one had bothered to tell him that Potter had received a magical creature inheritance. And if that wasn't shocking enough, on either side of the boy was a huge, silver-haired boy with large black wings and tall, red-headed boy with unearthly amethyst eyes and pointed ears.

As Severus just stood there and stared, Harry looked up and grinned when he caught sight of former Professor. "Professor Snape, what are you doing here? Did you get the Christmas present I sent you?"

"You sent him a Christmas present?" asked Ron incredulously. "What is wrong with you, mate?"

"Yes, Ron, I sent him a Christmas present," said Harry calmly. "After all, Professor Snape did save my life when my uncle tried to kill me this past summer, if you'll recall. It was the least I could do to repay him for that."

"How the bloody hell did you become a fox demon, Potter?" asked Severus abruptly. "I know for a fact that neither of your parents were demons."

Harry gave a long-suffering sigh at the question. "I'm not a demon, professor. I somehow managed to inherit a long dormant Kitiara gene."

Severus' jaw dropped in shock. Potter was a Kitiara? If that was true, he was more powerful than Dumbledore and Voldemort combined.

"Oh, and these two young men are Harry's suitors," said Molly happily. "Severus, meet Zenith and Tristan," she said, gesturing to each teen as she said their name. "Zenith is a Dracken, and Tristan is a weather faerie."

"Tempest Sidhe," muttered Tristan.

"They go to Arcane Academy with Harry," Molly continued blithely. "He has another suitor named Octavius, but he's at home with his family today. He's a shadow demon."

Severus could only shake his head in amazement. Not only was Potter extremely powerful in his own right, but he had three prospective mates who were also powerful. For the first time in years, Severus actually felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Potter really could defeat the Dark Lord. However, as soon as that hope began to bud, it died a quick death. If Albus was right, and Potter truly was a horcrux, the boy would have to die in order to defeat Voldemort.

"Potter, I need to talk to you alone for a moment," said Severus abruptly.

"Okay," said Harry hesitantly. "We can talk in my room."

Once they reached the bedroom, Severus warded and silenced the room.

Harry raised a brow at all the precautions and sat on the bed. "What did you want to talk about, professor?"

"Do you know what a horcrux is?" asked Severus bluntly.

"Yes," said Harry softly. "And if you're thinking I am one, you're wrong. The only soul inhabiting my body is my own."

"You can't be sure of that," said Severus sternly.

"Yes, I can," said Harry calmly. "Did you know that shadow demons can see any type of shadow, even shadows cast from dark magic?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Severus impatiently.

"Ginny was covered in them," continued Harry blithely. "They were left from her possession by Voldemort's diary."

Severus sighed and rubbed his temples wearily. "I take it that this Octavius doesn't see any shadows on your being. How is that possible, though? Albus is absolutely positive that you are a horcrux."

"I haven't had a single vision of Voldemort since my inheritance," said Harry simply.

"I see," said Severus softly. It was hard to imagine that the boy in front of him now had enough power in him to completely overpower and purge the black magic infused horcrux that had been a part of him since he was a year old. His lips slowly began to curve into a smug smirk. Albus was going to be in for a huge shock when Harry finally returned to Britain.

"So why did you come here today, professor?" asked Harry curiously.

"The Headmaster sent me here to spy on the Weasleys' thoughts for any information of your whereabouts," said Severus irritably.

"Good luck with that," said Harry cheerfully. "After Dumbledore tried to Obliviate Bill and did Obliviate Mrs. Weasley, Bill supplied the whole family with jewelry infused with Goblin magic to prevent something like that from happening again. It completely protects the mind from all mind magic, including Legilimency." He calmly stood up and walked up to the professor. "Come on, professor. Spend the day with us. You look like you could use some time away from Dumbledore."

Severus stared down at Harry for a long moment. "I believe I'll take you up on that offer."

"Great!" said Harry with a grin. He quickly dismantled Snape's wards and walked out of the bedroom with a bounce in his step, completely missing the look of utter shock on the professor's face at the ease in which he'd taken down the wards.

Severus shook his head. "They'll never know what hit them."

XxX

As soon as Severus returned to Hogwarts, Albus summoned him to his office. Severus scowled and stormed to the Headmaster's office. "What is it, Albus? I just got back, and I'm extremely tired."

"How was your trip to Egypt?" asked Albus cheerfully.

"Couldn't this wait until morning?" asked Severus impatiently. "I'm exhausted."

"Severus," said Albus curtly.

"Fine," Severus growled irritably. "I scanned each of the Weasley's thoughts, and none of them have any idea of Potter's whereabouts. In fact, Ronald and Miss Granger are rather upset with the brat because he hasn't deigned to write them at all. Bill, however, believes that they may have taken refuge in the United States because of all the wild magic there. Also, there is the fact that the States are more tolerant of werewolves than Europe is, so they very well may have chosen to hide there."

"I must admit that I hadn't thought of that possibility," Albus mused. He looked at Severus speculatively, but the other man was already shaking his head with a scowl.

"Absolutely not, Albus. I refuse to spend the rest of my holiday, searching the States for that ungrateful brat. You will have to find someone else to use as your lackey," snapped Severus. "Now, if that is all you wanted to discuss, I'm going to bed." Without another word, Severus stood up and stalked out of the office.

Albus watched him go with a sigh. If Potter and Lupin really were in the States, it would be nigh impossible to find them. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small phial of blood. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this because I didn't want to resort to Dark Magic, but the boy must be found." He unrolled a long piece of parchment across his desk and poured the blood across the parchment. Taking out his wand, Albus waved it in intricate designs, chanting spell after spell. Finally, the blood began seep into the parchment. Albus smiled and put his wand away, eagerly looking at the parchment for his results. However, he was shocked when the blood began to spew from the parchment, splashing him across the face.

"Impossible," whispered Albus, staring at the bloody parchment in disbelief. The only reason those spells wouldn't work is if the boy was dead.

The door suddenly slammed open, and Minerva walked into the room. "Albus, you need to do...something..." She trailed off in shock when she saw the blood all over the place. She rushed over to his side, checking for injuries. "What in Merlin's name happened to you? Do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?"

"No, Minerva. I'm fine," said Albus softly, using his wand to vanish the blood off of him. "That wasn't my blood."

"Not your- Albus, blood magic is illegal! What were you thinking?" Minerva almost screeched.

"I was trying to find Harry," said Albus.

"What do you mean by that? You told us that you kept Harry out of Hogwarts this year for specialised training," said Minerva, staring at Albus in bemusement.

Albus sighed softly. "The truth is, Minerva, that Remus kidnapped Harry from the Dursley's this past summer."

"Why would he do that?" asked Minerva.

"I'm afraid his lycanthropy has finally taken its toll on his mind," said Albus sadly. "And I'm afraid there's more bad news."

"What is it?" asked Minerva fearfully.

"Harry is dead. The only reason those spells would backfire like that is if the owner of said blood was no longer among the living," said Albus regretfully. "I fear that the poor boy may have been murdered in an insane fit of rage by Remus Lupin."

Minerva gasped and looked at Albus in horror, tears filling her eyes at the news of Harry's death. She didn't believe for one minute, though, that Remus was the one to kill the child, werewolf or not. No, if she had her guess, she'd say those horrid muggles had played a major role in Harry's demise. She'd warned Albus from the beginning that they were the worst sort of muggles, and her predictions had been confirmed when Harry first started to Hogwarts. The poor child was horribly thin and unkempt.

"Please excuse me, Albus," whispered Minerva. "I just need a few moments."

"Yes, of course. We'll talk some other time," said Albus benignly.

Minerva nodded and left the office. As soon as the stairway closed behind her, she hurried to the dungeons and banged on Severus' door. A few moments later, a sleepy-eyed, grumpy Severus opened the door with a yawn.

"What is it, Minerva? I was trying to sleep." Severus saw the tears streaming down Minerva's cheeks and immediately pulled the woman into his room. "What's wrong, Minerva?"

"Harry's dead," she gasped through her tears, finally breaking down over the fact.

"What? Who told you that?" asked Severus in confusion.

"Albus," said Minerva. "He did some kind of blood magic to try to find him, and it completely backfired. He said the only reason it would do that was if the owner of the blood used was dead."

Severus took a deep breath and quickly warded his room. He then cast a privacy bubble around Minerva and him for good measure. "Minerva, listen to me. Potter's not dead. I promise you, he's still alive and well."

"Then why did the spell backfire?" asked Minerva, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

Severus smirked at the witch. "Because Potter isn't human anymore. He became a Kitiara on his sixteenth birthday when he received his magical inheritance."

"You know where he is, don't you," said Minerva confidently. "How is he really?"

"Potter is disgustingly happy," said Severus bluntly. "He's being courted by three potential mates, and they are all powerful in their own right. He's also going to Arcane Academy, so no need to worry about his education."

Minerva smiled brilliantly. "Oh, I bet he's just the cutest little thing, isn't he, with fox ears and a tail. I would love to see him like that."

Severus rolled his eyes and pulled her to his pensieve. "See for yourself."

Minerva looked into the pensieve and soon found herself standing in a bedroom with Severus and Harry. She gasped in surprise at the teen's new features, and her fingers twitched with the urge to touch those cute little ears. When they left the bedroom, Minerva followed them to the kitchen, where Severus was being introduced to a gorgeous boy with silver hair and black wings and a boy with dark red hair and the most beautiful purple eyes she'd ever seen.

When the memory ended, Minerva grinned impishly. "Harry certainly has done well for himself, hasn't he?"

Once again, Severus rolled his eyes and bottled up the memory, charming a label onto the phial. He sealed the phial and stored it in a compartmented trunk with several other memory phials. "Your girlish side is showing again, Minerva. Where did the stern witch I know go to?"

Minerva waved a hand negligently. "Oh, pish. I just call it the way I see it."

"Now that you know your golden boy is alive and well, can I go back to sleep now?" asked Severus with another yawn.

"Yes, of course," said Minerva quickly. "Sorry to bother you so late." She paused at the door and looked back with a genuine smile. "And thank you for telling me the truth."

"Goodnight, Minerva. Be careful around Albus because he's a nosy git and likes rifling through people's minds. He must not find out about Potter," said Severus willingly.

Minerva just smirked at him. "You're not the only one who is proficient in Occlumency. I've been around Albus much longer than you have."

XxX

"When did you become so chummy with Snape, mate?" asked Ron.

"Oh, Ronald, would you please shut up about that for once?" asked Hermione, scowling at the redhead in exasperation. "Harry's already told you. Professor Snape is the one who saved him this summer and helped Harry and Remus get away from Dumbledore."

"But still, it's Snape," whinged Ron petulantly.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Zenith softly. "He seemed fine to me."

"That's just because you don't know him," said Ron quickly. "That greasy git has made our lives miserable for the last six years."

"He can't be that bad," said Zenith. "Harry said that Professor Snape had saved his life several times over the years."

"Exactly," said Hermione triumphantly. "When are you ever going to grow up, Ron?"

Harry just ignored the argument and curled up on the bed with his head on Zenith's thigh, eyes dropping sleepily. He probably would have already been asleep if Ron wasn't so damn loud. Zenith's hand swept through his hair, and suddenly the noise disappeared. Harry smiled in appreciation for the silencing charm and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

"When he stops being a git, Hermione," said Ron loudly.

"You're hopeless," sighed Hermione. She looked at Harry to ask him something and smiled when she saw that he was sound asleep, curled up against Zenith like a kitten.

"I am not. I'm just being truthful," cried Ron.

"Shh, Ron. You'll wake up Harry," said Hermione softly, pointing to the sleeping brunet.

"It's okay. I put a silencing charm around him," said Zenith easily.

"Where's Tristan?" asked Hermione. "I haven't seen him since breakfast, and that was over an hour ago."

"He got a call on his communication orb from his parents. He didn't look at all happy to see them, either," said Zenith.

Just then, Tristan stormed into the room with a dark scowl on his face, almost breaking the communication sphere when he dropped it carelessly to the floor. "The utter nerve of them. If they think I'm actually going to go along with their stupid plans, they have another think coming. How dare they go behind my back and do this!"

"What's wrong, Tristan?" asked Hermione worriedly.

Tristan smiled bitterly. "My parents just called to inform that my presence was required at home so that I could sign the betrothal agreement they've arranged."

"What? You're not going, are you? What about Harry?" asked Ron indignantly.

Tristan smirked darkly. "I've cut all ties with my parents. I won't be going back there ever again."

"Who did they try to betroth you to?" asked Zenith curiously.

A black glare crossed Tristan's face. "Silas Hargrove."

Zenith blinked at Tristan in shock. "Are you serious? Why in the world would they pick him? He's a Dark Elf."

"Why is that important?" asked Hermione in confusion.

"Elves and Faeries hate each other," Zenith explained. "So betrothing him to one of the hated enemies is the ultimate insult. And Silas Hargrove, in particular, is even worse. He goes to school with us, and he's a total arse to everyone."

"How awful," whispered Hermione sympathetically. It was terrible how some parents treated their children. "What will you do now?"

"I'll be spending the summer with Aunt Marissa," said Tristan wearily, sitting down on the bed beside Harry. "She's absolutely furious at my parents about this because they only arranged this betrothal after she told them about my courtship with Harry."

Harry suddenly rolled over and buried his face against Tristan's leg, ears twitching slightly when the faerie gently stroked his dark hair. He sighed softly in contentment and continued to sleep deeply.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," whispered Tristan. "They stopped being my parents the day Callandra died. I don't even know why I'm so shocked by all this."

"Your parents are idiots," said Zenith bluntly. "If you truly do plan to go against them in this, Harry and I will certainly stand behind you."

Tristan stared at Zenith in shock. "Why would you…? We're rivals for Harry's love. Why would you help me like that?"

Zenith looked down at Harry fondly for a moment before looking back at Tristan. "Do you honestly think this soft-hearted kit will be able to choose between the three of us? Although he hasn't said it yet, Harry loves each of us, and if we force him to choose, we'll only be hurting him in the end."

"Well said, Zenith."

Everyone started in surprise at the new voice and turned toward the doorway. Leaning against the closed door was a smirking Octavius.

"When did you get here?" shouted Ron.

"A few minutes ago," said Octavius casually.

"I thought I'd have another two days without your overbearing presence. We weren't expecting you back until New Year's," said Tristan sourly.

"Yeah, well, I ditched the family when they started suggesting prospective brides for me. I already have a mate picked out, and no one else will do," said Octavius. He walked across the room and sat of the floor in front of the bed. He smirked smugly when Harry shifted, clutching the back of his shirt in his hand.

Hermione snickered at the action. "Okay, I see what you mean, Zenith."

Ron just shook his head in amazement. "Who knew Harry was such a cuddler? He's always been shy about hugs and stuff like that."

Tristan's lip curled up in a sneer. "Considering who raised him, can you really blame him for that? Those monsters he calls relatives kept him in a bloody cupboard for ten years, only letting him out to do chores. It's a wonder he survived childhood."

Ron looked at Tristan. "I'm surprised he told you about that. I've been his best friend since we were eleven, and he still hasn't told me much of his life at the Dursley's. He's extremely close-mouthed about his home life."

Hermione nodded in agreement. Harry never really said anything about the Dursley's other than that they hated magic and so barely tolerated Harry's presence in their home. She hadn't realised how literally he meant that until this past summer.

"Like Zenith said, he loves us," said Octavius. "Besides, he knows things about us that we've never told anyone else, too."

Hermione smiled softly. Harry was obviously in good hands with these three. They would help him get through the trying times ahead.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Harry woke to the sound of soft giggling and a flash of light. "Quick, get one more. He's waking up." Another flash of light, and Harry finally opened his eyes. He immediately wished he hadn't when he saw a grinning Hermione with a camera in her hands with Ginny standing beside her. Before he could say anything to her, though, Hermione raised the camera again and snapped another picture.

"What are you doing, Hermione?" Harry asked grumpily, raising his head to scowl at his friend.

"I couldn't help it. You four are just so cute together," said Hermione cheerfully. Ginny just grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Go away. It's too early for this," groaned Harry.

"It's after nine, Harry. It's time to get up anyway," said Hermione unsympathetically. When Harry just glared at her for that response, she sighed and tugged Ginny out of the room with her. That boy could be so stubborn at times.

As the two girls left the room, Harry just shook his head in bemusement. He would never understand girls. He slowly laid his head back down on his pillow only to feel smooth, muscular flesh beneath his cheek. Harry rubbed his cheek against the firm flesh of his Zenith pillow with a contented sigh, the Dracken's scent relaxing him completely.

"Damn, I thought those chits would never leave."

Harry jerked upright at the sound of that voice, causing Zenith to grunt in protest at the abrupt movement. "Octavius! When did you get back?"

"Missed me, did you?" asked Octavius teasingly, sitting up in the bed and pulling Harry off of Zenith to sit beside him. "I got back last night, but you were already asleep."

"You could have woken me," Harry protested. "How was your visit home? Did Claudius enjoy my gift?"

Octavius snickered. By the time he'd finally left to come back here, Claudius was practically begging him to leave.

_**Flashback**_

_Octavius ripped open the gift Harry had asked him to give Claudius and carefully selected one of the candies. He then walked up to his brother and held it out. "Try this. Harry gave them to me for Christmas."_

_Claudius grinned and snatched the candy out of his hand, popping it into his mouth. A moment later, a large purple ferret stood in the demon's place. Octavius' jaw dropped at the ridiculous sight before bursting into laughter. These pranks were pure genius._

_The ferret blew up in a puff of smoke, and Claudius found himself sitting on the floor in shock. "What the hell was that?"_

_"Ferret Fudge. Brilliant, isn't it?" snickered Octavius. "And I've got a whole box of pranks to try out while I'm here."_

_Claudius scowled at Octavius. "I won't be falling for that trick again."_

"_We'll see," said Octavius confidently._

_**End Flashback**_

"Claudius wasn't the only one who experienced that gift. I got my horrid step-mother with the Lizard Lemon, the Gorilla Grape, and the Chinchilla Custard. Of course, she didn't find it nearly as funny as I did," said Octavius gleefully. That was actually the highlight of his visit. It was absolutely hilarious to see his step-mother's reactions to such childish pranks.

"I see. You drove your family to the brink of murder, so you had to leave to avoid certain death," said Harry dryly.

"Hey! I left because my step-mother had the bright idea to host a ball to celebrate Claudius' betrothal and to find me a prospective mate. She didn't much like the fact that I told her I was already courting someone and to keep her nose out of my business," said Octavious bluntly. "Unlike Tristan's parents, she can't disown me for refusing to sign a betrothal contract because my mother made sure I would be independent from my father and his bitchy wife."

"What do you mean about Tristan's parents?" asked Harry slowly.

Octavius looked startled at the question and then guilty. Before he could say anything, though, Tristan leaned over Zenith and punched the shadow demon in the jaw. "You really need to learn to keep you damn mouth shut," growled Tristan irritably.

"What is he talking about, Tristan?" asked Harry, staring at the redheaded faerie worriedly.

Tristan sighed and scrubbed his face wearily. "My parents contacted me last night to inform me that I needed to return home to sign a betrothal contract."

"Does that mean you're withdrawing from the courtship?" asked Harry in a small voice.

"Hell no!" snapped Tristan. "I refused to sign the contract, so now they're threatening to disown me. Luckily, Aunt Marissa said she would be more than happy to let me stay with her if it comes to that."

"I'm sorry, Tristan," said Harry, ears drooping sadly.

Tristan tugged gently on a drooping ear. "You don't have to apologise, Harry. It's certainly not your fault. Even if I weren't already courting you, this would still happen because there is no way in hell I would ever sign a contract betrothing me to Silas Fucking Hargrove."

"Silas Hargrove? Are you serious?" asked Harry incredulously. "Why in the world would they choose him? You two hate each other, and he's an elf."

"That's precisely why," said Tristan bitterly. "They'll do just about anything to make me miserable in revenge for my perceived part in Callandra's death. Hell, they didn't even approach Hargrove about the betrothal until after Aunt Marissa told them about our courtship."

"You know I'll help in any way I can, right?" asked Harry earnestly.

"Of course, I do," said Tristan, standing up and stretching. "Now enough of this sap. Let's get some breakfast. I'm starving."

"I'm with Tristan on this," said Octavius. "I haven't had a decent meal since I left here. Mrs. Weasley is a goddess in the kitchen. Her cooking is much better than that gourmet crap my step-mother insists on having at every meal." He got off the bed and grabbed a change of clothes from his trunk. "I call first shower," he said and darted out the door.

"Damn it, Octavius. You better not be in there more than fifteen minutes," growled Tristan, chasing after the other teen.

Harry turned to look at a sleepy-eyed Zenith. "Are you ready for breakfast, or do you plan on going back to sleep?"

Zenith yawned and rubbed his gritty eyes. "I think I'm going to try to get a couple more hours of sleep. I didn't sleep all that well last night."

Harry immediately felt guilty about that. "I'm sorry, Zenith. It's no wonder you didn't sleep well with me sprawled all over you like I was this morning. Why didn't you wake me? Or just shove me off for that matter?"

"You weren't the problem. You hardly weigh anything at all," said Zenith quickly. "It was the other two that kept me awake all night, jabbing me in the sides with their pointy elbows every time they rolled over. Of course, it also didn't help that I was lying on my wings all night because of the extra company. Your bed is entirely too small to accommodate all four of us."

"Get some sleep, Zenith," said Harry, pressing a quick kiss to the Dracken's lips. "I'll bring you something to eat in a bit."

"Thanks, Harry," said Zenith, rolling over onto his stomach and stretching out his wings as soon as Harry got off the bed. He hissed softly in pain as the cramped wings protested the movement. Then he felt nimble fingers rub gently against the aching wing joints and almost purred as the pain slowly faded away. Zenith soon fell into a relaxed sleep.

Harry smiled at the sleeping Dracken and slowly pulled his hands away from Zenith's wings. He snickered softly, though, when Zenith's tail snaked around his wrist as if trying to his hand in place. Harry carefully pulled his hand free and stepped away from the bed. He quietly gathered a change of clothes and walked out of the room.

XxX

Harry was just finishing his breakfast when an owl swooped through the open window and dropped a letter on his empty plate. He frowned slightly and reached for the letter, blinking in surprise when he saw the familiar handwriting of Severus Snape. He hesitantly opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

_Potter, _

_I'm just writing to inform you that Albus thinks you're dead. In his infinite wisdom, he decided to use some of your blood that he managed to obtain before your inheritance in a blood spell designed to locate the owner of said blood. As your blood is obviously no longer human, the spell backfired, and he has concluded that you are no longer among the living as a result. I'm telling you this, of course, because now you have more leeway in finding a way to destroy the Dark Lord without any interference from either party as I will be informing the Dark Lord of your 'death' at my next summoning._

_Severus Snape._

Harry stared at the letter in shock for a long moment. Dumbledore thought he was dead? A wide smile slowly curled his lips.

"What is it, Harry? Who sent you the letter?" asked Hermione quietly.

"It's from Snape," said Harry.

"Now that git's sending you letters?" asked Ron incredulously. "What the hell, mate?"

"Shush, Ron," snapped Hermione irritably. "What did he say?"

Harry shrugged and smiled innocently. "Apparently, Dumbledore thinks I'm dead."

Complete silence followed Harry's announcement. Then the twins burst into raucous laughter, laughing so hard they slid from their chairs into the floor. When they finally got their laughter under control, they peeked over the table to grin at Harry. "You just played the ultimate prank on the old coot without even trying. Good one, mate."

"And why does Dumbledore think you're dead, Harry?" asked Remus softly.

"See for yourself," said Harry, handing the letter to Remus.

Remus quickly read the letter and scowled. "That bastard is such a hypocrite. He constantly touts the evil of dark magic, but he's all too willing to use it when it serves a purpose for him."

Molly snatched the letter out of Remus' hand and gasped in outrage at what she found. "I can't believe he would resort to using blood magic to find Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes at that proclamation. "There's nothing wrong with blood magic, Mrs. Weasley. In fact, that's one of my classes at Arcane Academy. It's the fact that he procured and used my blood without my permission that has me so ticked. Who knows how long he's even had that blood and what he planned to use it for in the first place? I'm just lucky that my blood is no longer the same, or all of us would have been in danger."

Mrs. Weasley just gaped at Harry, hardly hearing the rest of what he said. "You're learning blood magic?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," sighed Harry. "It's actually a really useful branch of magic, and I really enjoy the class. Zenith is even apprenticing in blood magic to get his mastery. In fact, England is one of only three countries in the world who has made it illegal to perform blood magic."

"I wish I could attend Arcane Academy. You're so lucky, Harry," said Hermione wistfully.

"Just because you can't go to school with me doesn't mean you can't learn with me, Hermione," said Harry comfortingly. "You've gotten several books from the bazaar, and I'm perfectly willing to let you borrow my school books and notes over the summer."

Hermione's face lit up at the offer, and she smiled brightly at her friend. "Thank you, Harry. That would be wonderful."

"She's absolutely barmy, wanting to do schoolwork over the summer," muttered Ron, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Hush it, Ronald. You could learn a lot from Hermione's example," Molly reprimanded. "What other classes are you taking, dear?"

"Healing, Warding, Elemental magic, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Magi Arts, and Potions," said Harry promptly.

Molly blinked in surprise at the list. After hearing that Harry was learning blood magic, she was more than a little afraid he would be learning such things as the Dark Arts or Necromancy. Instead, though, he was learning useful skills like healing and warding. "Are you planning to become a Curse Breaker or a Healer?"

"Don't know yet," said Harry with a shrug. "I still have a year and half before I have to decide on my apprenticeship."

"I think you're all forgetting something here," Bill interjected. "Gringott's is required to contact the guardians of the deceased, and Dumbledore had himself named as your magical guardian when Sirius went to Azkaban."

"And just when I thought he couldn't be any more of a bastard than he already was," said Harry bitterly. A thoughtful look crossed his face before he jumped to his feet. "I think I need to pay a quick visit to the bank. I'll be back later." He almost ran from the room, leaving everyone staring at the empty doorway in confusion.

Octavius suddenly grinned and disappeared in a swirl of shadows. Harry was up to something, and he was curious to find out what. He quickly caught up to the brunet and pulled him into the shadows with him, transporting them both to the bank in seconds.

"That was a bit disorienting," muttered Harry, blinking his eyes rapidly to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting.

"You get used to it eventually," said Octavius cheerfully.

"If you say so," said Harry wryly. He took a deep breath and walked up to a goblin teller, writing in a thick ledger. "I need to speak with someone about my accounts."

"Name?" asked the goblin curtly without even glancing up at him.

"Harry Potter," said Harry politely.

The goblin took one look at Harry and snorted derisively. "Try again, demon." He proceeded to ignore Harry by writing in the ledger in front of him.

Harry growled at the dismissal and grabbed the goblin by the neck, lifting the diminutive creature off his feet. "I said that I want to speak with someone about the Potter and Black accounts. I suggest that you call someone to do that." He roughly set the goblin back onto his feet and sneered at him. "And I'm not a demon."

The goblin trembled slightly in fear at the amount of power roiling off the teen. He raised a shaky hand and summoned another goblin. When the other goblin reached them, he said in an unsteady voice, "Please escort Mr. Potter to a private office and summon the manager to his accounts."

The goblin raised a brow in surprise at his cowed co-worker, but he didn't say anything. He simply gestured for the two teens to follow him and lead them to an empty office. "Have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly."

"Exactly what are you planning, kit?" asked Octavius curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Harry placidly.

Fifteen minutes later, a goblin carrying a thick file hurried through the door with an irritable scowl. "I'm Rangthorn, account manager of the Black and Potter accounts. What business do you have with me?"

"Considering that I am the heir to both of those names, I'd say I have a lot of business with you," drawled Harry.

Rangthorn slowly set the file on the desk and turned to look at Harry more closely. "Our records indicate that Harry Potter is a half-blood wizard. Also according to our records, there hasn't been a magical creature in the family for more than three hundred years. Imposters are dealt with harshly at Gringott's bank."

"I'm sure you have some way of proving that I am who I say I am," said Harry with an unconcerned shrug.

"Indeed," said Rangthorn. He pulled open his desk drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment and a thin dagger. He pushed both items toward Harry with a raised brow. "Place three drops of blood on the parchment. After that, you'll also need to focus a bit of your magic onto the parchment so we can verify your magical signature."

Harry picked up the knife and pricked his finger, allowing three drops of blood to fall onto the parchment. He then placed his finger onto the parchment and pushed a small amount of magic into the parchment. He watched the blood sink into the parchment and writing begin to appear. Harry only had time to see his name on the parchment before the goblin quickly snatched the parchment up and read the contents, eyes widening in shock.

"Now that I have proved myself, shall we proceed with business?" asked Harry firmly.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. What may I do for you today?" asked the goblin quietly.

"It has come to my attention that Albus Dumbledore is my magical guardian. Is this true?" asked Harry.

"Yes, it is. With Sirius Black's incarceration and Alice Longbottom's institutionalization, Albus Dumbledore was appointed as your magical guardian," said Rangthorn.

"Is there any way to revoke that?" asked Harry.

"There's no need to," said Rangthorn. "Although you are only sixteen, you have already received your magical inheritance, making you legally an adult in the wizarding world. As such, Dumbledore no longer has any say over your future."

"If I were to die, would he have any claim on my inheritance?" asked Harry.

"Yes, as the only guardian listed, Dumbledore would inherit your fortune unless stated otherwise in a will," said Rangthorn.

"I would list Remus as my beneficiary, but I'm sure Dumbledore would have grounds to contest that since he claims that Remus kidnapped me, and Remus is a werewolf," said Harry thoughtfully. He finally sighed and decided to explain his situation. He told Rangthorn about his brutal beating at Vernon's hands and subsequent rescue by Remus, including Dumbledore's part in the whole mess. "At the moment, Dumbledore thinks I'm dead, and I want him to continue to think that. Is there any way you can delay any efforts he makes to claim my inheritance without outright telling him that I'm still alive?"

"What proof does Dumbledore have that you're dead?" asked Rangthorn curiously.

"Blood magic," said Harry. "Apparently, he used some of my blood that he somehow managed to procure before my inheritance in a blood tracking spell. Obviously, it backfired because my blood is no longer the same."

Rangthorn's brows shot up at that. So the great Albus Dumbledore wasn't as light as he portrayed himself to be. "Considering the fact that blood magic is illegal in England, he would be an utter fool if he tried to claim your inheritance with only that as proof. Without legal, irrefutable proof that you are dead, there's nothing he can do."

Harry gave an evil smirk. "How about we do this?" He leaned closer to the goblin, detailing his plan in a hushed whisper.

After Harry finished speaking, Rangthorn leaned back with a toothy grin. "That sounds like a goblin-worthy plan."

Harry smirked in satisfaction and stood. "Thank you for your time, Rangthorn."

"I'll owl you monthly reports to keep you apprised of the situation," promised Rangthorn.

Harry nodded in thanks, and he and Octavius disappeared into the shadows.

XxX

Remus practically pounced on Harry when he and Octavius reappeared in the kitchen. "Well, kit, what did they say?"

"Dumbledore can't touch my vaults," said Harry smugly. "First of all, he's no longer my guardian because I came into my magical inheritance a year early, so even if he does discover that I'm alive, there's nothing he can do to me because I'm legally an adult. Secondly, the only proof he has of my death is a spell cast by blood magic, which is illegal in Britain, and we have a back-up plan in any case."

"That's good news, at least," said Remus softly, silently wondering what his kit was up to.

"Yep," said Harry cheerfully. Glancing at the time, he blinked in surprise when he saw that he'd been at the bank for almost an hour. He grabbed a plate and started piling it full with food.

Hermione looked at the plate and shook her head. "Harry, you've been spending too much time with Ron if you're already hungry again."

"It's for Zenith, Hermione," laughed Harry. "He decided to sleep a little longer since he didn't sleep that well last night. He said Tristan and Octavius kept jabbing him in the side with their bony elbows."

"And you sleeping on top of probably didn't help," said Hermione.

Harry just smirked at her. "Oh, he didn't mind that part at all." With a small grin at Hermione's resulting blush, Harry sauntered out of the kitchen.

Walking into his bedroom, he set the plate of food on the bedside table and gently shook Zenith awake. "Zenith, you need to wake up. It's almost noon, and I brought you something to eat."

Zenith rolled over onto his back, blinking sleepily up at Harry. He suddenly wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist and dragged him down onto the bed. Harry laughed at the action and poked the Dracken in the chest.

"Don't you want to eat, Zenith?"

Zenith grinned wolfishly and rolled over so that Harry was beneath him. "I think I will taste a bit of this delectable morsel right here." He dipped his head and captured Harry's lips in a sweet kiss that quickly deepened when Harry eagerly responded with a soft moan.

Harry finally broke the kiss for some much needed air only to lose his breath once more when Zenith kissed a fiery trail down his neck. He buried his hands in Zenith's hair and his face in Zenith's neck, peppering breathless kisses against the heated flesh. However, an innocent sweep of the Dracken's hand down his back had Harry biting down sharply as a rush of pleasure swept through him.

Zenith's hand froze in place briefly before he gently stroked the exposed skin surrounding the base of Harry's tail. Harry gave a choked cry and arched his back, thrusting their hips sharply together. Merlin, he'd never expected his tail to be this sensitive.

Harry raked his fingertips down Zenith's back, lightly tracing the joints of Zenith's wings. Zenith's wings fluttered at the touch, and the Dracken reached behind him and grabbed Harry's hands, pinning them above the brunet's head. Zenith leaned down to kiss Harry again when all of a sudden, freezing cold water splashed down on them.

Zenith hissed in shock at the abrupt dousing and sat up on the side of the bed. Harry, once he'd gotten over the shock, started to laugh. "I guess that's one way to cool down. You okay, Zenith?"

"I'm tempted to neuter that werewolf you claim as your guardian, but otherwise I'm fine," grumbled Zenith, drying his sodden clothes with a quick wave of his hand. He glanced back at Harry and quickly looked away when he saw the tempting sight of Harry's soaked shirt proudly displaying his hard little nipples. "You might want to get up, too, or we may end up doused again."

Harry grinned and languidly sat up, drying his clothes and the bed. "Well, did your breakfast survive the deluge?"

Zenith picked up the plate and snorted when he saw his eggs and sausage swimming in water. "I think the breakfast is a lost cause."

"Come on then. Let's get you something else to eat," said Harry hopping off the bed and pulling Zenith to his feet. "Besides, I have some news for you." As he pulled the Dracken toward the door, he flashed a mischievous grin and announced, "I'm dead!"

Zenith stumbled, almost dropping the plate to the floor, and stared at the brunet in shock. "Pardon me? You certainly look and feel alive to me."

"The point is that Dumbledore believes that I'm dead thanks to a botched blood tracking spell," said Harry placidly.

"How did you find that out?" asked Zenith in bemusement.

"Snape wrote to tell me," said Harry cheerfully. Before Zenith could say anything to that, Harry walked into the kitchen and said, "Look who finally woke up."

Molly smiled at Zenith as he walked into the kitchen only to frown when she saw his still full plate. "Was something wrong with your breakfast?"

"No, it just got a little… wet," mumbled Zenith, handing the sopping plate to the Weasley Matriarch.

"Wet? How did it get wet?" asked Molly, staring down at the plate in confusion.

Remus, on the other hand, knew exactly how it got wet, and he was equal parts amused and angry. "I see you two triggered the chastity charms in your room. I'm glad they worked."

Harry smiled sweetly at the werewolf. "I'm sure you are. Just remember that revenge is a dish best served cold. I will get you back for that, and you'll never see it coming."

Remus almost shrank away from Harry at that threat. It wasn't the threat so much that scared him. It was the sweet smile that looked exactly like Lily Potter's smile just before she got her revenge for whatever prank they'd pulled. Lily was terrifying when she had that look on her face, and if Harry was anything like his mother, he would not like what Harry did to him in repayment for that prank.

"I-It was for your own good, Harry. You're not ready to bond with anyone yet," stammered Remus reasonably. Harry just kept smiling. Remus sighed and dropped his head to the table. "I am so dead."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Albus Dumbledore waited a week after New Year's to make a trip to Gringott's Bank. They still hadn't notified him about Potter's death, and he wanted to know why. He walked up to the teller and briskly said, "I need to see the manager of the Potter and Black accounts."

The goblin looked up and sighed irritably. He sent a goblin to get Rangthorn and then escorted Dumbledore to a private office. "Wait here."

Albus scowled at the empty room and sat down. Forty minutes later, the office door finally opened, and Rangthorn stepped into the room with a thin file. "What took so long? I've been waiting for nearly an hour."

Rangthorn ignored him and sat down at his desk. "What I can do for you today, Dumbledore?"

"Why wasn't I informed of Harry Potter's death?" asked Albus bluntly. "As Harry's magical guardian, I should have been notified immediately."

"I'm afraid that you have been misinformed," said Rangthorn with barely disguised glee. "You are not Harry Potter's magical guardian."

"What? That's impossible. I was appointed his magical guardian when his godfather, Sirius Black, was imprisoned," snapped Albus.

"That may be true. However, your status as guardian was revoked as soon as Harry Potter reached full magical maturity," said Rangthorn, opening the slim file. He pulled out a piece of paper and pushed it toward Dumbledore. "Apparently, the Potter heir reached his full magical maturity a whole year early."

Albus shoved the paper back toward Rangthorn. "Be that as it may, without another guardian appointed and no will, I still should have been notified to claim his inheritance."

"I'm afraid that once again you are misinformed," said Rangthorn coolly. "Harry Potter did file a will with us, leaving all of his assets to one Remus Lupin."

"Lupin is a wanted criminal and a werewolf," snapped Albus. "The courts will deny any claim he makes on the Potter fortune."

"In the event should Mr. Lupin be unable to inherit, all of his assets would go to Molly and Arthur Weasley," Rangthorn continued blithely. He snapped the file shut and sneered at Albus. "I believe our business is finished Dumbledore. I'll have Ironfist show you out."

Albus growled angrily and stalked to the door, yanking it open and slamming it shut behind him. He couldn't believe that brat had managed to foil his plans even in death. However, he could still use this. If Arthur and Molly inherited Harry's wealth, Albus was sure they would be all too willing to hand some of it over. For the war effort, of course.

XxX

Remus cursed in frustration when a high-pitched shriek interrupted his heated snog with Bill. He growled and searched the room for the bloody object. When he found it, he dropped it to the floor and stomped on it, sighing in relief at the resulting silence. However, as soon as he kissed Bill again, another high-pitched shriek sounded in the room.

"Bloody hell," Remus snarled. "How many of those damn things did he hide in here?"

Bill just snickered and flopped down on the bed. Harry certainly hadn't been lying when he'd said he would get Remus back for the dousing he'd received. "You'll never find them all, Remus. Harry is awfully sneaky when he wants to be. Why don't we take a long, relaxing bath instead?"

"Okay," sighed Remus. A bath sounded really good right now, and he desperately needed something to relax him before he tried to strangle his godson from sheer frustration.

Unfortunately, not even the bathroom was safe from Harry's revenge. As soon as Bill and Remus got in the bath together, the water began to bubble and churn, turning a lurid pink. The water suddenly began to twist like a mini-tornado around the two men, dying every inch of their skin and hair the same pink as the water, before dropping back to the now serene water.

Bill looked frozen for a moment before he burst out laughing. They looked utterly ridiculous, but he had to hand it to Harry. That boy certainly knew how to prank someone. This was pure genius.

"I don't know what you find so funny," grumbled Remus disgruntledly.

"Come on, Remus. You have to admit that Harry got us good with this one," said Bill cheerfully.

Remus reluctantly agreed. If nothing else, this prank certainly proved that Harry was without a doubt a worthy heir of the Marauders. It didn't stop him from wanting to strangle the little brat, though. For an entire week, every time he and Bill tried to get any alone time together, one of Harry's many pranks managed to interrupt them, and it was driving him bloody crazy.

"I give up," Remus almost whinged. He climbed out of the bath and hurriedly pulled on his clothes. Stomping out of the room, he stormed to Harry's bedroom. Slamming the door open, he glared at the green-eyed brunet lounging on the bed with Octavius.

The shadow demon took one look at Remus and burst out laughing.

Remus just growled at him briefly before turning his glare back toward Harry. Raising his wand, he cancelled the chastity charms with a jerky motion of his arm. "There, they're gone. Are you happy now?"

"You're not enjoying the pranks, Moony?" asked Harry innocently. "What happened to that Marauder spirit?"

"It died a slow, agonising death along with my libido," muttered Remus petulantly.

"Quite frankly, I'm surprised you held out this long," said Octavius. "I just knew that you would cave in when Harry gave you that gender-transformation potion three days ago."

"If it had lasted more than two hours, I would have," said Remus ruefully.

"Damn, I knew I should have used the one that lasted two days," said Harry.

Octavius grinned. "My favourite, though, was the singing eyebrows. I don't think I've ever seen a grown woman blush the way Mrs. Weasley did."

"Don't remind me," Remus groaned. At breakfast, Harry had managed to jinx his eyebrows to sing bawdy sailor songs all day. When the first ditty rang out, Molly blushed a fiery red and desperately tried to silence the sound, but nothing worked. She'd finally banished Remus to his room to save everyone else from the raunchy lyrics.

"Of course, it figures Remus would cave in the day we have to leave to go back to school," said Harry dryly. "Or have you forgotten, Moony?"

Remus stared at Harry in surprise. "I had forgotten, actually. The Weasley's aren't leaving for another two days. What time are you leaving?"

Harry looked at Octavius in question, but the shadow demon shook his head. "Zenith said he would take us back this time, so you'll need to ask him."

"And how will he do that?" asked Remus curiously. "Do Drackens have a special mode of transportation like shadow demons do?"

"I'll find out," said Harry eagerly. He slid off the bed and hurried out of the room. As he reached the living room, though, the twins ambushed him.

"Harry, our dearest benefactor," said George, draping an arm over the brunet's shoulders.

"You have certainly proved to be," continued Fred, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist.

"A master prankster these last few days," they finished together.

"We especially loved the singing eyebrows prank you played on poor Moony," said George cheerfully.

"You have to tell us how you did it," said Fred eagerly.

"It'll cost you," said Harry with a smirk. At the dismayed look on the twins' faces, Harry grinned and pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. "I'll give you this on one condition."

"What condition?" asked Fred eagerly.

"I want you to torment Dumbledore unceasingly with the pranks on this paper. I didn't even use half of them on Remus. He'd have gone insane from it all," said Harry, flourishing the parchment teasingly.

"Done, mate," said George, snatching the paper out of Harry's hand.

"We'd have done that anyway," Fred agred.

The put their heads together and read the prank list, eyes widening in delight. "Oh, but this will do nicely. Thanks, mate."

"I'm counting on you both," said Harry.

Leaving the twins to their plans, Harry continued toward the kitchen in search of Zenith. He found the Dracken sitting at the kitchen table with Tristan and Hermione. "So you're taking us back to school today, Zenith?"

"Yep," said Zenith with a secretive grin. "And before you even ask, you'll find out when everyone else does."

Harry sat down beside the Dracken with a pout. "But I want to know now. Can I at least get a hint?"

Zenith just smirked and pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket.

Harry stared at the chalk for a long moment. "That's it? That's my hint?"

Zenith nodded. "Yep, that's it."

"I don't think I like you anymore," said Harry petulantly.

"You love me, and you know it. You're just an impatient little bugger," said Zenith cheerfully, pressing a quick kiss to Harry's lips.

"Have you packed everything, Harry?" asked Tristan abruptly. "We need to get back to school a little early so we can talk to the Headmaster and the school nurse."

"Why do we need to talk to them?" asked Harry, staring at Tristan in bemusement.

Tristan sighed at the confused look on Harry's face. "I keep forgetting how little you know about courtships. Now that we have declared a formal intent to court you, the Headmaster must provide us with a private suite of rooms. We have to see the school nurse so that the nurse can document our sexual history and place charms on us that will alert him if the chastity rule is broken during the courtship."

"Why does the nurse need our sexual history?" asked Harry timidly.

"It's done to prevent infidelity during the courtship," said Tristan bluntly. "If infidelity does occur, that suitor is immediately disqualified from the courtship."

"I see," said Harry softly.

"I wish the bazaar had any books on formal courtships. There's so much about them I don't know," said Hermione.

"You and me both," said Harry ruefully.

Octavius suddenly burst into the room with an aggravated scowl. "Are we about ready to leave? If I have to stay here a moment longer, those bloody twins are going to die. I had to dodge eight spells from the bedroom to here."

Harry snickered softly. They certainly hadn't waited long to try out those new spells. He could already tell the rest of the family was going to be absolutely miserable by the time they left.

"I wouldn't laugh, Harry. I just know you had something to do with their sudden creativity," hissed Octavius.

Harry quit laughing and jumped to his feet. "I'll just go get my trunk then."

"Sit back down, Harry. I've got your trunk," said Octavius.

"Now that everyone's ready, I guess I'll get started," said Zenith, getting to his feet. He walked over to the kitchen wall and said, "I'm making a Dragon's Gate." He took his piece of chalk and drew a pentacle on the wall with several intricate runes drawn along the lines of the pentagram. When he was finished drawing, he made a shallow cut along his left palm and pressed his bleeding hand against the pentacle.

The blood spread from the centre of the pentacle, tracing each line on the drawing until the entire thing began to glow a fiery red. The red glow flashed brightly, growing larger and larger, and then disappeared. Where the pentacle had been, a large doorway appeared, taking up almost half the wall. Beyond the door, Harry could see the familiar white castle of Arcane Academy.

"That is brilliant," breathed Harry, staring at the gate in awe.

"Is that where you go to school?" asked Hermione with a touch of envy.

"Yep, that's Arcane Academy, the number one school of magic in the world," said Octavius.

"And I thought Hogwarts was impressive to see," said Hermione.

"It's time to go, guys," said Zenith regretfully. "You three go first. The gate will close once I pass through."

As Tristan and Octavius walked through the gate, Harry quickly hugged Hermione goodbye. "I'll call you at least once a week, and I'll see you again this summer."

"I'm going to miss you, Harry," said Hermione tearfully. "Hogwarts just isn't the same without you. Even Malfoy has been more subdued without you there."

"I'll miss you, too," said Harry. "I'll talk to you soon, though," said Harry, kissing Hermione on the cheek and hurrying through the gate with his kits chasing after him.

"Keep him safe for me," Hermione said to Zenith.

Zenith nodded and smiled. "I promise." He stepped through the gate, and the gate disappeared behind him.

"Man, it's good to be back," said Octavius. "The holidays were fun and all, but those Weasley's are a bit much to handle all at once."

"You get used to it eventually," said Harry with a grin.

XxX

Jackson Durrough sighed irritably as he walked down the stairs toward the Entrance Hall. The Headmistress had asked him to meet Harry Potter and his suitors to give the boy his new room assignment. Of course, the Headmistress had no idea when the boy was set to arrive, so Jackson would have to wait in the Entrance Hall until he did. Yeah, fun.

Two hours and a budding migraine later, the boy in question finally stepped into the castle. He walked up to the Kitiara with a scowl. "Mr. Potter, would you and your suitors kindly come with me?"

Harry blinked in surprise at the question and slowly nodded. "Of course, Professor Durrough."

The four boys followed Durrough to the school infirmary. Durrough gestured impatiently toward the beds. "Have a seat. Healer Carrington can cast the courtship charms while we talk."

"How did you know-" sputtered Harry in surprise.

"All magical contracts, verbal and written, are recorded in the contract log in the Headmaster's office," said Durrough shortly. "Your courtship was recorded a few days before the winter holidays. In accordance with this, I am here to give you your new room assignments. You four will be sharing a betrothal suite on the eighth floor. You will each have your own room with a shared common room and bathroom. The monitoring charms have already been placed on the rooms." He handed Harry a piece of parchment. "Here are the directions to your new rooms. You will have to place any additional spells or wards if you want them." With that said, Durrough swept from the room.

"I had forgotten about the contract log in the Headmaster's office," mused Zenith.

"That saves time, at least. Now if only Healer Carrington would hurry up," Octavius added.

"You aren't the only students I have to deal with, you impatient brat," said Healer Carrington irritably as he walked into the room. "Who wants to go first?" He didn't let anyonw volunteer, though. He just stepped up to Harry. "Looks like you're the lucky one."

"Lucky me," said Harry weakly.

Carrington smirked at the brunet and cast the purity reveal charm. Harry glowed a brilliant white. "You're still a virgin. I'm surprised someone hasn't pillaged your cute little behind already." Ignoring the sputtering teen, he quickly cast the chastity charms on the boy and moved toward Zenith. "Your turn." Carrington cast the purity spell, and Zenith glowed a soft off-white with a big number one in front of him. "Just one? Now that's surprising. I figured a strong, handsome demon like you could seduce anyone into your bed." He silently cast the chastity charms and moved over to Tristan. Casting the purity spell, Carrington smirked at the brilliant white glow that surrounded the faerie. "That's not so surprising. You're far too picky to give up to just anyone. But then again, I don't blame you for waiting to claim the adorable little Kitiara." He just grinned at the irritable scowl that crossed Tristan's face and cast the chastity charm. Stepping in front of Octavius, he blinked in surprise at the results of the shadow demon's purity spell. Like Zenith, Octavius glowed a soft off-white with a large number one in front of him. "With the stories I've heard about you, I expected this number to be in the double digits." Shaking his head in bemusement, Carrington cast the chastity charms on the demon. "All done now. You're free to go."

The four teens shuffled out of the infirmary in a bit of a daze. Finally, Octavius stopped and said, "Does anyone else feel a bit insulted by what that healer said?"

Harry nodded wearily. "Insulted, a little violated, and great deal irritated are the words I'd use."

"There's no point in letting it get to you. Healer Carrington has a habit of speaking exactly what is on his mind regardless of how that will affect everyone else," sighed Zenith. "Let's just find our new rooms and rest a bit before supper."

However, just as they reached the stairs, an excitable blond caught up with them.

"Harry," shouted Grey happily, pouncing on the brunet with a wide grin. "I missed you so much. I'm so glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too," said Harry. "It's too bad you couldn't make it for New Year's, though. I was looking forward to introducing you to the rest of the family. You would have loved the twins. They're just as mischievous as you are."

"I wanted to come, but Zane asked me to be at his engagement party on that day," said Grey regretfully. "If it makes you feel better, though, I would have much rather visited you. The betrothal ball was dreadfully boring."

"But Zane is your best friend, and you would do anything for him," added Harry.

"Yeah," Grey agreed. "So where are you four headed?"

"To our new rooms on the eighth floor," said Harry.

"That's right! You get new rooms now that you are being formally courted," said Grey cheerfully. "Have you already had the charms placed on you?"

"Unfortunately," drawled Octavius with a slight shudder.

Grey snickered at the demon's reaction. "Yeah, I avoid the infirmary like the plague. Healer Carrington is such a pervert. He once told me that if I was enthusiastic between the sheets as I was everywhere else, he would happy to give me a go."

"He just told me that he was surprised someone hadn't pillaged my cute little behind already," said Harry with a scowl.

"Well, at least he's honest," said Grey with a soft chuckle at the disgruntled look on Harry's face. "Anyway, I'm supposed to meeting up with Zane in a little bit, so I'll see you supper, alright?"

"Alright, we'll meet back up at supper," Harry agreed. "See you later, Grey."

XxX

Albus smirked smugly as he waited for the Weasley's to arrive to the Order meeting. He'd finally managed to convince Fudge to deny all rights for Remus Lupin to claim any of Potter's inheritance. And as an added bonus, the money Sirius Black left to the werewolf had been transferred to Potter, as well, leaving even more money for Albus to eventually claim.

When Molly and Arthur finally arrived, Albus started the meeting. "I'm afraid I have some very distressing news for everyone today."

"What happened, Albus?" asked Shacklebolt.

"I'm sorry to say that Harry Potter has met an unfortunate end at the hands of Remus Lupin," said Albus somberly.

Pandemonium erupted with that declaration. Molly jumped to her foot and glared at Albus. "Are you saying that Harry is dead? You told me he was perfectly fine." She struggled fiercely to curb the urge to curse the old codger until he was unrecognisable as a human being. How dare he try to frame Remus for something like this?

Albus frowned slightly at the question. Molly should already know about the brat's death. With Remus unable to inherit, Gringott's was obligated to contact the next benefactor. However, it was glaringly obvious that the goblins were slacking in their duties because Molly and Arthur were just as surprised as everyone else. Obviously, he would need to pay another visit to the bank to find out what the problem was.

"How could you let this happen, Albus? Potter was our only hope against You-Know-Who," shouted Emmaline Vance.

"How did Remus even get a hold of Harry?" asked Tonks with a confused frown. "I thought Harry was in a secure location to further his training."

"That was nothing more than a lie," said Professor McGonagall bluntly.

"Minerva, be silent," snapped Albus.

Minerva just looked down her nose at the Headmaster. "I will not, Albus. You are the cause of all this. I don't care what you say about Remus Lupin, but I know good and well that he is not responsible for Harry's death. If anything, that man tried to save the poor boy. You are the one who is responsible for Harry's death by leaving him with those horrid, abusive muggles, and I refuse to allow you to place the blame on an innocent man just so you can absolve yourself of all guilt."

"That is quite enough, Minerva," said Albus warningly.

"I've certainly heard enough," said Molly shortly. "Arthur, we're going home."

"The meeting is not over," said Albus curtly.

"It is for us," snapped Molly. "I just found out that Harry's dead, and I need a little time to mourn the poor boy. Whatever you have to say can wait until I'm better able to process it." Grabbing her husband's hand, she pulled Arthur out of the room.

Once they were past the wards, they apparated back to the Burrow. Molly scowled angrily as she stalked into the house. "That man certainly has some nerve. I can't believe he has the gall to blame Remus for Harry's supposed death. Remus wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Molly, you knew he was going to do that," said Arthur reasonably. "Harry warned you about this before he left."

"It still makes me angry," said Molly defensively. "How does that man justify all the terrible things he's done to Harry?"

"It's all for the greater good," said Ron bitterly, startling his parents at his sudden presence. "He doesn't see Harry as a teenaged boy. Harry is nothing more than a tool to him, a weapon to use and discard."

"Well, at least Harry has us to love him for who he is," said Molly firmly.

XxX

Two days after the disastrous Order meeting, Albus once again ventured to Gringott's bank to see Rangthorn. The damn goblin made him wait two hours before finally showing his face this time, though.

"What can I do for you today, Dumbledore?" asked Rangthorn shortly as he walked across the room to sit at his desk.

"Remus Lupin has been deemed ineligible to inherit Harry Potter's assets. Why has the Weasley family not been informed of Potter's death?" asked Albus irritably.

Rangthorn smirked at the old man. "Because Harry Potter isn't dead, of course."

Albus gaped at the goblin in shock. "B-But the blood spe-" He stopped abruptly and cleared his throat. Admitting to casting a blood spell in front of a goblin was not a wise idea. "Why didn't you tell me Harry was still alive the last time I was here?"

"Quite frankly, it was none of your business," said Rangthorn bluntly. "Since you are no longer Harry Potter's magical guardian, none of his personal matters should concern you in the least. In fact, you're lucky I haven't reported you to the Ministry of Magic for the illegal use of blood magic."

Albus got to his feet and nodded curtly to the goblin. "Thank you for your time, Rangthorn." With barely suppressed rage, Albus stalked from the room.

Once he was back in his office, Albus' magic exploded with his rage. Dozens of tiny gadgets shattered with the force of the old wizard's magic, and Fawkes trilled softly in a vain effort to calm the raging wizard. The phoenix's trill finally penetrated the Headmaster's rage, and Albus slumped down in his chair with a weary sigh.

"Potter has managed to make a fool of me once more," whispered Albus. "If he's still alive, why did the blood spell backfire? I can't have used the wrong blood by mistake, could I? No, that was definitely Harry's blood. The only reason the spell would backfire like that was if the boy was dead or… he came into a creature inheritance. That's the only other explanation. If his blood was no longer human, the blood I used wouldn't work. And I have no way of knowing what kind of creature he became, either. Damn him. When I find that brat, he'll wish for death for the humiliation he's caused me before I finally grant him that sweet oblivion."

Fawkes trilled sadly as the bond he shared with Albus Dumbledore shattered with the last vestiges of light in the old wizard. Albus Dumbledore had just joined Voldemort in the rank of Dark Lord. With a sad chirrup goodbye, Fawkes disappeared in a flash of flames.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Harry was in the library, working on the copious amounts of homework his professors had piled on him during his first week back at school, when a Gringott's owl flew into the room. The owl dropped a letter on the table in front of him and immediately flew away. Harry sighed softly and reluctantly picked up the letter, knowing it could only mean one thing.

_Mr. Potter,_

_I am writing to inform you that Albus Dumbledore is now aware that you are still alive. He came to the bank this morning, demanding an explanation for why we hadn't contacted the Weasley's with news of their inheritance from you. I had no choice but to tell him the truth about the matter. However, he is still unaware of the truth of your magical inheritance, nor does he know your current location._

_If you have any further instructions for me regarding your accounts, please let me know._

_Rangthorn_

"That old man certainly didn't waste any time trying to get his grubby hands on my money," mutered Harry with a disgusted frown. He was hoping for a little more time before Dumbledore learned the truth, but he really should have expected something like this from the old coot. And to make matters worse, now that Dumbledore knew that he was alive, it was only a matter of time before Voldemort would be informed of that fact.

With a disgruntled sigh, Harry packed up his books and headed back to his room. It was almost time for him to return anyway because Ron and Hermione were supposed to call him after supper, and he wanted to take a quick shower before then. However, just as he reached the eighth floor, someone grabbed him from behind. He didn't even have time to react before he felt a sharp pain in his back and chest. Looking down at his chest in shock, he saw the tip of a dagger protruding from his skin. A second later, the dagger was pulled free and Harry fell weakly to his knees as his assaillant let him go.

"You never should have crossed me, Potter, and stealing my prey was the final straw."

Harry slowly turned his head to look behind him, unsurprised to see none other than Silas Hargrove standing with a bloody dagger in hand and a smug grin on his face. Harry painstakingly pressed a hand against his chest, desperately trying to heal the wound, but the dagger had punctured his lung, and he was losing blood quickly. He only had enough energy to heal his punctured lung before he passed out from blood loss.

Silas smirked and walked up to the fallen brunet, kicking him viciously in the side. "You thought you were so much better than me, didn't you? Now who's better? In just a few minutes, you'll be nothing more than a memory. And once you're gone, I'll make Tristan pay for the humiliation he's caused me by refusing our betrothal. He won't get off as easily as you, though. I'll make sure he suffers for this insult for the rest of his miserable life."

Silas kicked Harry once more, laughing gleefully. His laughter was cut abruptly short, and a sharp crack echoed in the corridor. Silas fell to the floor with a broken neck, revealing the petite form of one Vera Whitaker. She calmly stepped over Silas' body and gently lifted Harry into her arms. A moment later, the pair disappeared in a shower of ice.

"Healer Carrington, get your arse in her right now!" Vera shouted as they appeared in the infirmary. She carefully placed Harry on the nearest bed and shouted for the Healer once more.

Healer Carrington walked into the room with a wide yawn. "What is it? I was trying to take a nap."

"Heal him," said Vera coldly, gesturing to the still form on the bed.

Carrington's eyes widened in shock when he saw the amount of blood covering the boy and almost leapt to the bed. He immediately ran a diagnostic scan and cursed. "Get me some Blood Replenishers, and be quick about it. Time is of the essence."

Vera nodded and hurried to the potion's cabinet, grabbing as many Blood Replenishers as she could carry. They ran back to Healer Carrington and placed the potions on the table beside the Healer. "What else do you need?"

"Go get Madame Mullins. She can administer the proper potions needed while I heal everything else," said Carrington curtly, snatching up one of the potions and forcing it down the brunet's throat.

Vera raced out of the room and further into the Healing Ward, calling for the medi-witch. Madame Mullins came out of her office with an anoyed scowl. "What is it, child? This is an infirmary, not a quidditch match. There is no need to yell like that."

"Healer Carrington needs your help with a patient," said Vera breathlessly.

Madame Mullins gasped and quickly followed Vera back to the room where Carrington was working desperately to keep Harry alive. "Dear Merlin, what happened to the poor child?"

"There's no time for that right now," snapped Carrington. "Right now I need you to give the boy those potions while I heal these wounds. He's losing blood too quickly for me to do both."

"Of course," said Madame Mullins briskly.

Vera stood back, forgotten for the moment, and watched the two work tirelessly to save her friend's life. If only she'd gotten there sooner. She'd followed that bastard, Silas, because she'd overheard him boasting about a plan to get rid of Harry so that he could get Tristan more easily. However, she'd lost sight of him when someone had run into her on the second floor. By the time she'd given chase again, Silas was nowhere in sight. Then she'd seen Harry walking up the stairs and followed him instead. Unfortunately, Harry was several floors ahead of her, and she hadn't managed to reach him before Silas had struck.

Two hours later, Healer Carrington and Madame Mullins finally breathed a sigh of relief. Harry's wounds were all healed up, and he was in a healing coma to replenish his depleted magic. It was a miracle the boy had survived at all. If he hadn't managed to heal his punctured lung before he passed out, there would have been no hope for him. And even then, his heart had stopped twice while they were healing him.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Carrington started in surprise. He'd completely forgotten about Vera's presence. He turned to the girl and smiled wearily. "He's going to be fine. We managed to heal all the damage. Now he's just in a healing coma to replenish his depleted magical reserves."

"Thank goodness," said Vera. She promptly burst into tears now that the scare was over. "I was afraid I was too late."

"Do you know who did this to him?" asked Madame Mullins.

"It was Silas Hargrove," said Vera venomously, wiping her tears away with an angry swipe of her hands. "He grabbed Harry from behind and stabbed him in the back."

"And where is Silas Hargrove now?" asked Carrington in a dangerously soft voice.

"I imagine he's exactly where I dropped him after snapping his cowardly neck," said Vera nonchalantly.

"How the hell did you manage to break Hargrove's neck? You're tiny!" said Carrington incredulously.

"I just kicked him behind the knees and snapped his neck when he lost his balance," said Vera dismissively.

Before Carrington could ask her anything else, they heard a deafening roar. Carrington groaned softly. "And now we have a raging dragon to deal with. Any volunteers?" Madame Mullins and Vera just stared blankly at him.

"You must be insane," said Vera bluntly. "I'm not stupid enough to confront an overprotective dragon. You go calm him down."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," said Carrington. "I like living too much."

"That's what we thought," said Vera smugly.

XxX

Zenith frowned when he saw the crowd of students gathered around the eighth floor stairs. He

tapped the nearest person on the shoulder and asked, "What's with the crowd here?"

"It's Silas Hargrove. Apparently, someone killed him."

Zenith quickly pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Everyone get back." He saw Silas' body on the floor and knelt down beside him. He caught the faint scent of ice in the air but ignored it as he reached toward Silas, checking for a pulse even though he knew it was pointless. As he did, though, he caught sight of the bloody dagger. Lifting up the dagger, he delicately sniffed the blood to see if he recognised the scent.

As soon as the scent of the blood hit his senses, his dragon roared in rage. That bastard had hurt his mate! Zenith shifted to his dragon form, sending the students scattering in fear. Zenith ignored the scurrying insects and grabbed Silas' body in his claws, tearing and clawing at the corpse until nothing but a mash of raw meat remained. Tossing the mutilated carcass to the ground, he spit a fireball at the corpse, setting it aflame.

Zenith shifted back to his normal form and vaulted over the side of stair rails, wings spread out so that he could glide quickly to the second floor. Hitting the second floor at a run, Zenith burst into the infirmary. "Where is he?"

All three occupants immediately pointed to the silent figure on the bed. Zenith paled slightly when he saw his mate lying so still and silent. He hurried up to the bed and gently clasped one of Harry's limp hands between his palms.

"He'll be fine, Zenith," said Carrington softly. "He's just resting right now."

Zenith sighed in relief and gently kissed the hand he was holding. Vera stepped up to the other side of the bed, and Zenith's nose twitched at the scent of ice and snow that wafted off from her. He looked at the Winter Elf intently. "You were there."

"I'm the one who killed Silas. I heard him boasting about having a plan to get rid of Harry and followed him, but I didn't reach him in time to stop him from stabbing Harry," said Vera remorsefully.

"It was because Vera got him here so quickly that Harry survived," added Carrington. "He would have died from blood loss otherwise."

"Thank you," said Zenith sincerely.

"Harry's my friend," said Vera simply.

"Is there anything left of Silas to bury?" asked Carrington with a pointed stare at Zenith. "I'm sure his family will want to know."

"There may be some charred bones once the fire goes out," said Zenith coldly.

"Damn, that means more work for me," said Carrington with a scowl. "You can stay with him tonight if you like. It's not like I have any other patients at the moment."

With that said Carrington walked out of the infirmary to deal with Silas' remains. Madame Mullins wisely chose to retreat back to her office. She had no desire whatsoever to anger an overprotective dragon in any way. Vera simply stroked Harry's hair briefly and left.

Once the room was clear, Zenith sighed. "You two can come out now."

XxX

Tristan heard the ding of a communication orb as he got out of the shower. Quickly pulling on a pair of pyjama bottoms, he followed the sound to Harry's room. He activated the orb and saw Ron and Hermione huddled together in front of the orb.

"Oh, Tristan," said Hermione, blushing slightly at the sight of Tristan's damp, bare chest. "Is Harry around? He told us to call him after supper."

"No, he isn't. He was in the library earlier, doing his homework, so maybe he just lost track of time or something," said Tristan. "Do you want me to tell him to call you when he gets back?"

"No, we'll just try back tomorrow," sighed Hermione. "There are too many people around for him to call here."

"Alright, I'll tell him to expect a call tomorrow then," said Tristan.

"Thanks, Tristan," said Hermione.

The communication orb went dark, and Tristan set it back down on Harry's desk. Despite his words of assurance to Hermione, Tristan felt a sinking pit of dread in his stomach. It wasn't like Harry to be this late.

Tristan heard a thump in the common room and hurried out of Harry's room, hoping it was Harry. Unfortunately, it was just Octavius. "Have you seen Harry, Octavius? He was supposed to be back already to talk with Hermione and Ron."

"No, he said he was going to the library to study, so I decided to spend a little time with Claudius today," said Octavius.

"Something's wrong," said Tristan worriedly. "I can just feel it in my gut."

Octavius didn't question Tristan's worries. He simply turned around, ready to command the shadows to search for the missing brunet, but a deafening roar stopped him cold. "That was Zenith."

"I knew something was wrong," cried Tristan, bolting for the door. He ran down the corridor, reaching the edge of a crowd of people just in time to see Zenith hurl a fireball at something and jump over the stairwell.

"Come on. We'll never get through this mess in time to follow him," said Octavius, grabbing Tristan's arm and pulling him into the shadows with him.

Octavius reached the infirmary just as Vera admitted to killing Silas. He almost fell back into the shadows in shock. That tiny elf didn't look like she could harm a fly, much less actually kill someone. Of course, if anyone deserved such a fate, it was Silas Hargrove.

"Did she just say… what I think she said?" whisper Tristan incredulously.

"Yep, she sure did," said Octavius. "Harry certainly knows how pick his friends, doesn't he?"

"You two can come out now," said Zenith dryly, interrupting their whispered conversation.

Octavius and Tristan stepped out of the shadows and up to Harry's bed. Tristan sat down in the chair beside the bed and picked up Harry's free hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop this, Harry."

"Well, I don't think anyone else will be stupid enough to attack Harry after this, especially not after the way Zenith reacted," said Octavius.

"Tell me you wouldn't have reacted the same way," challenged Zenith.

"You two quit arguing. We all know that Octavius and I would have reacted very much the same way you did, Zenith, so there's really no point in arguing about it," said Tristan wearily. "I'm just thankful that he's still alive."

Zenith and Octavius nodded in agreement, sitting beside their injured mate in silent vigil.

XxX

Healer Carrington rubbed his temples wearily as he walked back toward the infirmary. Dealing with Hargrove's father was a pain in the arse. As soon as he'd informed the man of his son's death, he'd been forced to listen to the man's pointless threats of retribution. Carrington had finally told him to have at it and had even given him a list of names. Of course, when he'd done that, Hargrove's father paled drastically and promptly shut up. Carrington couldn't blame him, though. He certainly wouldn't want to enrage a Dracken, Shadow Demon, Tempest Sidhe, Winter Elf, and a Kitiara.

Walking into the infirmary, Healer Carrington paused at the sight. Harry was lying in the centre of the bed with Zenith asleep in a chair with his head on the brunet's stomach. Octavius had dragged another chair over to the bed, and he was asleep with his arms wrapped around Harry's thighs. Tristan was in a chair on the other side of the bed, sleeping with Harry's hand cuddled against his chest.

This was one interesting courtship. It was obvious that the three suitors were already deeply, irrevocably in love with Harry, and from what he'd seen from the brunet, Harry felt the same way about each of them. It would be a complete and utter shock if this courtship didn't end with Harry choosing all three of his suitors.

Carrington sighed and quickly enlarged Harry's bed before levitating Zenith, Octavius, and Tristan onto the bed with the brunet. This way, they could at least be comfortable. Besides, it wasn't like they had class the next day since it was the weekend.

Covering them all with a sheet, Carrington headed to his office. He was absolutely exhausted.

XxX

Harry slowly opened his eyes, squinting slightly at the sunlight piercing his eyes. The first thing he saw was white. This obviously wasn't his bedroom, so where was he? The last thing he remembered was getting a letter from Rangthorn and heading back to his dorm. After that… nothing.

"Good, you're awake."

Harry's eyes widened at the sound of the perverted Healer's voice. He was in the infirmary? "What happened?" he asked in a scratchy voice.

"You were stabbed by Silas Hargrove," said Carrington calmly. "Luckily, you managed to heal your punctured lung before you passed out. Otherwise, you would have died before I could heal you."

"How did I get here?" asked Harry.

"Vera Whitaker brought you here," said Carrington.

"And where are-"

Carrington cut him off. "Your suitors are in the dining hall getting some breakfast. They've spent the last two days with you, refusing to bath or eat, so I finally forced them to do so. They should be back any minute now."

"I've been here for two days?" asked Harry incredulously.

Carrington raised an eyebrow at the question. "You almost died, Harry. In fact, your heart stopped twice while we were healing you. I don't think two days is that unreasonable of a recovery time."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," said Harry meekly. "It's just that I was supposed to talk to my friends at Hogwarts, and they'll be worried that they haven't been able to get a hold of me."

"Then you'll be happy to know that once you eat breakfast, you are free to go. Just take it easy for the next few days," said Carrington, pointing to a tray on the bedside table. He watched the brunet for a long moment, and finally his curiosity got the best of him. "Don't you want to know what happened to Hargrove?"

Harry stilled at the question and sighed softly. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about Hargrove at all. "Not really." He had an idea of what happened to him, though. Since he was alone in the infirmary, there was really only one option.

"He's dead," said Carrington bluntly. "Your friend, Vera, broke his neck."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at that comment. It was hard to believe that his elfin friend had killed Silas. She was one of the nicest people he'd ever met. He guessed he shouldn't be too surprised, though. Even he was capable of murder if it came to protecting his friends and family.

"It was probably for the best," Carrington continued blithely. "It was far more painless than the death he would have experienced at Zenith's hands."

Harry looked at the Healer for a long moment. "What is the point of this? I didn't like Silas Hargrove, but I certainly didn't want him dead. But what's done is done, and there's nothing I can do to change it."

Carrington smirked at the brunet. "I just wanted to see your reaction. For someone so innocent, you're remarkably calm in the face of death."

"I'm hardly innocent when it comes to death," said Harry softly, looking away from the Healer. "Can I go now? I'm really not all that hungry right now."

"Be my guest," said Carrington cheerfully. "Maybe I can finally take that nap that got interrupted the other day."

Harry immediately sat up and tossed the blankets aside, ignoring the slight twinge of pain in his chest and back. Turning so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Harry looked down at his chest curiously, staring at the small scar left behind. He then noticed that he was only wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"I don't suppose I have any more clothes here, do I?" asked Harry dryly.

"Nope," said Carrington cheerfully. "I did mention that your mates hadn't left the infirmary until this morning, didn't I?"

Harry sighed irritably and slowly stood up. Once he was sure his legs were steady, Harry headed for the door. Right now, all he wanted to do was go to his room and take a long, hot shower. However, he'd only taken a few steps down the corridor when Zenith, Octavius, and Tristan hurried up to him.

"Harry, what are you doing out of bed?" asked Tristan worriedly.

"Healer Carrington said I could go," said Harry calmly.

"How do you feel?" asked Zenith softly.

"My chest and back ache a bit, but that's to be expected. It should ease up in the next day or so," said Harry.

"Have you eaten?" asked Octavius quickly.

"I'm not really hungry right now. At the moment, I just want a shower," said Harry wistfully.

"Then come on," said Tristan, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him toward the stairs.

Zenith suddenly grinned and grabbed Harry away from Tristan, running a few steps and launching himself in the air. Beating his wings powerfully, Zenith flew up the stairwell until he reached the eighth floor. Before he could take more than two steps, though, a hand reached out and pulled Harry into the shadows.

Harry smiled slightly at their antics and cuddled closer to Octavius. Those three always knew how to cheer him up.

Harry didn't get his shower when they reached their dorm, though. As soon as they stepped into the suite, Harry heard the beeping of his communication orb and groaned in realisation. Because of the incident with Silas, Harry had completely missed his talk with Hermione and Ron. They'd probably been trying to call him for the last three days, getting more and more worried the longer he didn't answer.

Almost jumping out of Octavius' arms, Harry ran to his bedroom and grabbed the communication orb. He quickly activated it and smiled sheepishly at his friends. "Hi, Hermione. Hi, Ron."

"Don't you hi us, Harry Potter. Where the hell have you been the last two days?" Hermione almost shrieked.

"The infirmary," Harry muttered softly.

"The infirmary!" She did shriek that time. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," said Harry with a reassuring smile.

"He is now," added Octavius unhelpfully. "He almost died, though."

"What!" shouted Ron. "What do you mean he almost died? What happened?"

"Silas Hargrove stabbed him in the back," said Octavius darkly, fists clenching with the desire to revive that son of a bitch just so he could kill him again.

"I'll kill him," growled Ron angrily.

"You're too late for that," said Octavius with a scowl. "Harry's friend, Vera, got to him before we could."

"But you're alright now?" asked Hermione, staring at Harry in concern.

"I'm perfectly fine. See? I'm all healed up," said Harry, pointing to his new scar.

Hermione and Ron paled slightly when they saw how close the wound was to their friend's heart. It really was a miracle Harry was still alive. A couple of centimetres to the left, and that wouldn't be the case.

"Does Remus know?" asked Hermione softly.

This time it was Harry who paled. Remus was going to go ballistic when he found out. "No, not yet. I just got out of the infirmary a few minutes ago."

"Good luck with that, mate," said Ron sympathetically. "You might want to make sure Bill's there to calm him down when you do tell him, though. Otherwise, he's liable to storm the school or something."

Harry heard the door open and turned to look at Zenith. "Hey, Zenith, do you think we would get in trouble if we made a quick trip to visit Remus today?"

"I don't know why we would," said Octavius, answering instead. "I shadow off the school grounds all the time."

"I don't know if that would be a wise thing to do, Harry," said Hermione. "Knowing Remus, he could try to keep you from returning to school."

"You have a point there," sighed Harry. "I'll think of something. Right now, I'm going to take a shower. I've been asleep for two days, and I desperately need one."

"Okay, Harry. We'll call you again in a few days," said Hermione.

"And let us know how it went with Remus," Ron added.

"If I survive the experience, you mean," said Harry dryly. Ron just grinned at him and cut the connection. Harry put the orb back on the bedside table and headed for the shower. Remus would just have to wait a bit longer.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Harry had just finished dressing when his communication orb started beeping. Stifling a weary sigh, Harry reluctantly grabbed the orb and activated it, knowing it could only be one person. And sure enough, Remus' face was reflected in the orb's surface. Harry opened his mouth to greet the other man, but the words froze in his throat at the worried frown on the werewolf's face.

"Harry, thank Merlin you're alright! I've been trying to get in touch with you for two days now. What happened?"

Harry winced at the question. "I was in the infirmary."

"You were in the infirmary," Remus repeated slowly. "Details, Harry, and make it quick."

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Octavius walked into the room. "Are you ready to... go?" The words trailed off when he saw the communication orb in Harry's hand and the person reflected in the orb. "I guess we're taking the day off. I'll get Zenith and Tristan." With that said, Octavius promptly fled from the room, leaving Harry to deal with his irate guardian.

Harry scowled at the empty doorway before looking back at Remus. "I was stabbed in the back by Silas Hargrove."

Remus paled at the blunt statement. "You were stabbed?" he almost screeched. His features quickly darkened with rage. "How dare that little upstart hurt my kit! I'll kill the bastard!" He then proceeded to rant about the numerous ways he was going to do exactly that.

Harry listened to the werewolf rant, eyes wide at the man's creative methods of impending murder. He turned a little green, though, when Remus threatened to rip Silas' intestines out through his arse and then ram them down his throat. Octavius, on the other hand, was impressed with the werewolf's threats. It was such a shame Remus hadn't gotten to Silas first.

Zenith finally decided to interrupt Remus' rant. "It's a moot point, Mr. Lupin. Silas is already dead. He'll not be hurting Harry ever again."

"And where were the three of you while this was happening?" snapped Remus. "As Harry's mates, it was your duty to protect him, and you didn't."

"Remus, that's not fair," said Harry reproachfully. "They can't be with me every waking moment, you know. We are still in school, and we have separate classes. You can't expect them to ignore their education just to keep tabs on me at all times."

"It was my fault," Tristan interjected softly. "If I hadn't refused to sign the betrothal contract, Silas never would have attacked Harry."

"Shut up, Tristan," snapped Harry. "Silas is the only one to blame for this. He chose his own damn actions."

"He was a moron, anyway," said Octavius dismissively. "To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of disappointed that Mr. Lupin didn't manage to get a hold of the bastard first. That death would have been much more satisfying than a mere broken neck. Hell, I would have been happy if he'd just been alive when Zenith ripped his stinking corpse apart."

Remus stared at Octavius for a long moment before shaking his head in resignation. "I don't know if being courted by a demon is a good thing or bad thing," he muttered softly.

"Well, I don't know about any other demon, but these two demons are definitely good for me," said Harry, poking both Zenith and Octavius in the arm. "Don't worry about me, Remus. I'm fine now."

"I can't help but worry about you, Harry. You're my kit," said Remus softly.

"Which reminds me," said Harry with an impish smile. "When are you and Bill going to have cubs of your own?"

Remus blushed brightly at the question. "Hush, Harry. You'll probably have kits before we do, and that better not happen until after you graduate."

"No worries there, Remus. I'm far from ready for that right now," said Harry reassuringly. Harry checked the time and sighed. "Remus, I'll talk to you later, alright? I would rather not miss class today if I can help it. I have potions this morning, and Grey will ruin all my hard work if I leave him alone."

"Be safe, Harry, and call me tomorrow," said Remus firmly.

"I will. Love you, Remus," said Harry, deactivating the communication orb. Setting the orb back on the bedside table, Harry grabbed his bag and stood. "Come on, guys. Class starts in fifteen minutes."

"Are you sure you want to go to class today?" asked Tristan softly. "Healer Carrington said you could take today off if you needed to."

"I know, but I really just want everything back to normal," said Harry. "Besides, I wasn't lying about Grey. He will ruin our potion if left to his own devices."

"Alright then. We'll see you at lunch," said Zenith.

Harry nodded and hurried out of the room. He made it into the Potions classroom with only a minute to spare. Taking the seat beside Grey, he was a little surprised when the tiger barely acknowledged him. However, the professor started class before he could ask his friend what was wrong.

The next three hours were spent in near silence, and Harry was getting increasingly worried at Grey's uncharacteristic docility. As soon as classes ended, Harry grabbed the tiger by the arm and pulled him out of the classroom into a nearby alcove.

"Are you alright, Grey?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," said Grey listlessly. His words were belied, though, when his face turned a faint green, and he turned and vomited on the floor.

Harry quickly banished the mess and started leading Grey toward the infirmary. "Obviously, you are not fine. Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"I'm not sick," said Grey tonelessly.

"Then what would you call that?" asked Harry impatiently. When they reached the infirmary, Harry pushed Grey onto one of the beds and called for Healer Carrington. However, it was Madame Mullins who answered the call.

"What is it, child? Is your injury bothering you again?" she asked when she saw Harry.

"Injury? What is she talking about, Harry?" asked Grey curiously.

"I'll tell you later," Harry told Grey quietly. He looked at the medi-witch and gestured toward Grey. "No, I'm fine. I actually called you in here because of him. He just got sick after class."

"I see," said Madame Mullins, walking up to the bed. She cast a quick diagnosis spell on the were-tiger and gasped in surprise. She then ran several more tests before she finally stepped back. "Child, you need to drop the glamour immediately. Using that type of spell for too long will damage the fetus."

"H-How far along are you?" asked Harry, staring at his friend in shock.

Grey sighed and cancelled the glamour. Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the blond's slightly swollen belly.

"I'm due in three months," said Grey bluntly.

"And who is the other father?" asked Harry softly.

Grey rolled his eyes at the brunet. "Who do you think it is?"

With that response, there was only one person it could be. "I see. Does he know?"

Grey snorted derisively. "Of course not, and I have no intentions of telling him. It was a moment of weakness over the holidays. Besides, what's the point? It's not like he can drop everything to help out with the kid. He has other responsibilities to deal with. His fiancé for example."

"You should at least tell the professors," said Harry sternly. "What if the fumes from the potion we were working on today had harmed the baby? Or what if you get hit with a spell during practicals?"

"Maybe that's for the best," Grey muttered softly.

"Do you really feel that way?" asked Harry gently. "Do you truly want to end your child's life before it's even begun?"

"No, I don't want that," shouted Grey, covering his stomach protectively. "But I can't do this on my own. It's just… too much."

"You're not alone, though," said Harry comfortingly. "I'll help in any way I can, and I'm sure Zenith and the others will do so as well. Besides, Zane may surprise you if you give him the chance."

"The fact of the matter is, Harry, that as much as Zane may want to help, there's really nothing he can do for me," said Grey bluntly. "He's certainly not going to leave his little fiancé to be with me, and to be perfectly honest, I don't want him to. As much as I care for him, I can't deal with a mate that's constantly unfaithful."

"So what will you do?" asked Harry hesitantly.

"I'm going to put it up for adoption," said Grey firmly.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" asked Harry softly.

Grey smiled tightly. "Harry, I'm only seventeen. I'm not ready for kids. Giving the baby to a family who will love it the way it deserves is the best thing that I can do for the child."

"You know, Remus may be willing to adopt the baby from you," said Harry slowly. "He's always wanted kids, and this way you could see the baby as much as you wanted. Plus, he's a shifter, too, so he would be better able to care for the child as it grows into its powers."

Grey's head shot up in surprise. "Remus? Do you really think he would?"

"Come to my room after supper, and we'll ask him together," said Harry with a warm smile.

Feeling a burgeoning hope in his chest, Grey quickly agreed.

XxX

Remus was curled up in front of the fireplace, reading a book, when his communication orb went off. He got up to activate, idly wondering who was calling him. Whoever it was, hopefully it wasn't with more bad news about Dumbledore. He was quite sick of that manipulative old man and his constant schemes to find Harry.

Remus activated the orb and blinked in surprise when he saw Harry and his friend, Grey, reflected in the orb's surface. "Harry, I wasn't expecting a call from you so soon. Did something happen?"

"Kind of," said Harry hesitantly, unsure of how to broach the subject of the baby to Remus.

"Are you alright?" asked Remus worriedly.

"Remus, you want kids, right?" asked Harry quickly.

Remus' eyes widened at the question before narrowing in fury. "Which one of them touched you, kit? I'll kill him for pupping my baby."

Harry stared at him blankly for a moment before he realized exactly what Remus thought. "That's not what I meant, Remus. I'm still as virginal as ever, so don't worry." He glanced at Grey and took a deep breath. "Grey's pregnant, and he wants to put the baby up for adoption. But I know how much you like kids, so I thought I'd ask if you were willing to adopt the baby instead."

Remus sat down heavily, staring at the two boys in shock. "You want me to…? A-Are you sure that's what you really want, Grey?"

Grey scooted closer to Harry so he could see into the orb better. "I'm only seventeen, Mr. Lupin, and the other father has responsibilities elsewhere. I can't take care of the cub on my own."

"What about your parents? Wouldn't they help you?" asked Remus softly.

"There's a chance the baby could be born an Incubus. If that were to happen, my father would kill the child, or cast it out anyway," said Grey bluntly. "It's safer for the cub this way."

"And when is the baby due?" asked Remus, thinking fast. He would need to talk to Bill about this, and if his lover agreed to adopt the baby, Remus would have his own cub to raise. He loved Harry all his heart, but he'd always wanted a baby.

"In three months," said Grey timidly.

"Give me a week then to give you an answer. I have to discuss it with Bill first," said Remus gently. "Is that alright?"

Grey nodded and gave him a watery smile. "That's fine, Mr. Lupin."

"Then I'll talk to you then. Take care, Grey. And you too, Harry," said Remus, deactivating the orb. Putting the orb away, Remus waited impatiently for Bill to come home.

As soon as the redhead apparated into the cottage, Remus pounced. "Bill, would you consider adopting a child with me?"

Bill almost fell on his arse in shock. "A-Adopt a c-child?" He looked at the werewolf closely and saw the barely disguised hope in Remus' eyes. "You really want us to raise a child together?"

"Well, what I actually want is for us to get married, raise a child together, and grow old together," said Remus seriously. "But if-" The rest of his sentence was cut off by Bill's lips.

Bill slowly ended the kiss and pulled back to look at Remus. "I want all that, as well. Now tell me more about this child you want us to adopt."

Remus quickly told Bill about his conversation with Harry and Grey. When he was done, he asked, "So what do you think?"

"I think you'll be a wonderful father, Remus, and if you want to adopt the child, then I'm behind you all the way," said Bill.

Remus threw his arms around Bill with a cry of delight.

XxX

Tristan scowled at the blond were-tiger sitting on the bed next to Harry. "Are you finally going to tell us what's going on? You've been antsy for the last week, and I want to know why."

Harry looked at Grey and raised an eyebrow. "Well, Grey?"

Grey sighed and reluctantly nodded, but before Harry could say anything, his communication orb started beeping. Grey's breath caught in his throat, and he watched intently as the brunet activated the orb, revealing Remus as the caller. His entire focus narrowed on the werewolf, anxiously awaiting an answer.

"Hi, Remus. You look like you're in a good mood," said Harry, staring at his guardian thoughtfully. "Does that mean you-"

"Yes, it does. I talked to Bill, and he fully agrees," said Remus quickly. He looked over at Grey and added, "That is if you still want to go through with it."

"Of course," said Grey, almost sighing with relief. He'd been terrified that Remus would refuse. He didn't know what he would have done if that was the case.

"Alright, then you need to let your healer know the current situation so he'll know to contact me when you go into labour," said Remus gently.

"I'll do that," Grey promised. "Thanks, Mr. Lupin. I really appreciate all your help."

"I'm happy to help. I just wish it was under better circumstances," said Remus sincerely.

Grey smiled wanly and nodded. He then checked the time and sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I promised to meet Zane in the library at eight."

"Good luck," said Harry.

"Whatever," muttered Grey, stalking out of the room. He was already dreading the upcoming conversation with Zane.

"So that's what you've been so secretive about the past week," blurted Tristan. "Damn, no wonder that hyper tiger has been so docile lately."

"Well, yeah. I'm sorry for not telling you, but it wasn't my secret to tell," said Harry apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," said Zenith, sitting on the bed beside Harry and wrapping his arm around the kit's shoulders. "It's perfectly understandable. Grey's your friend, and he needed help."

Harry just nodded and leaned against Zenith, closing his eyes wearily. He couldn't imagine going through what Grey was having to deal with. Honestly, the thought of any of his three suitors leaving him and choosing someone else made his heart clench in pain.

"Zenith, what's going to happen when the courtship ends?" asked Harry timidly.

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Zenith curiously.

"What if I can't choose a single suitor?" asked Harry, looking down at his lap.

"Then we are going to have some wicked fun on our bonding night," said Octavius, sitting on the bed and pulling Harry into his lap. "Just imagine it. Me, Zenith, and Tristan all worshiping your gorgeous little body all night long. We'll make love to you so many times, you'll be imbued with our scent for eternity."

Harry shivered at the promise, cheeks flushing as the images came to life in his mind.

Octavius smirked at the telling action and kissed the brunet's neck. "Can you see it, Harry?" He swept his hands under Harry's shirt, brushing his fingertips over Harry's nipples. "Can you see me paying homage to these sweet little nubs?" He delicately pinched the brunet's nipples between his fingers, pulling a soft moan from the kit.

Harry's head fell back against Octavius' shoulder, unconsciously baring his neck to the demon. He reached one arm back, settling on the back of Octavius' neck and pulling him closer. "T-Tavi," he gasped breathlessly, arching into the demon's caresses.

"Damn, that's fucking hot," whispered Tristan, staring at the pair with wide, lust-filled eyes.

"Agreed," said Zenith, sliding off the bed and kneeling on the floor in front of Harry.

"Look at Zenith, Harry," Octavius purred seductively. "His mouth is almost watering for a taste of you." He nodded to Zenith and watched the Dracken slowly reach for the button to Harry's trousers. Zenith deftly unbuttoned and unzipped the brunet's trousers, pulling them down enough to free Harry's hard arousal. Taking advantage of Harry's distraction, Octavious quickly pulled Harry's shirt off. With those rosy nipples finally bared, the shadow demon trailed his lips down Harry's chest and ran his tongue teasingly around one of the tight little nubs.

Harry moaned only to shriek in pleasure when Zenith licked his cock from base to tip. "Zenith!"

Zenith smirked up at Harry before taking the brunet's cock in his mouth.

Seeing the open-mouthed, wide-eyed look of pleasure on Harry's face, Tristan finally broke and joined them. He knelt beside Zenith and grabbed Harry's chin, pulling him into a passionate, toe-curling kiss. Harry immediately wrapped his free arm around Tristan's neck and eagerly returned the kiss.

With the three of them playing Harry's body like a fine-tuned instrument, it didn't take long to bring Harry to orgasm. He screamed in Tristan's mouth, hips thrusting mindlessly in his pleasure. Zenith quickly grabbed Harry's hips to still him before he inadvertently choked him and happily drank down the brunet's release.

Harry flopped back against Octavius in a boneless heap, panting for breath. "Merlin, that was-"

"Delicious," Zenith interjected with a smirk, licking his lips for emphasis.

Harry blushed brilliantly at that.

"Come on, Harry. Let's get you dressed for bed," said Octavius. "It's been a long day, and you need your rest. You're still recovering after all."

"But what about you guys?" asked Harry with a frown.

Zenith grinned and stood up, gesturing to the wet spot on the front of his trousers. "I don't think you were aware of it, but your tail was a bit busy while I was sucking you off."

Harry blushed again.

"No need to worry about me, either. You were grinding that cute little backside against me the entire time," said Octavius with a smirk.

"Just watching Harry was enough to do it for me," said Tristan sheepishly.

Octavius smiled at the redhead. "He is a sexy little thing, isn't he?"

"Here, Harry. Put these on," said Zenith, handing a pair of pyjamas to the blushing brunet.

"Wicked fun indeed," muttered Harry as he pulled on the clothing. Ignoring the smug grins his three suitors flashed at him, Harry got into bed and pulled the covers over his head.

XxX

Grey walked into the library and spotted Zane at a table in a shadowy corner. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the Incubus and sat down at the table. "I'm here, so what did you want to talk about?"

"What's going on with you? You've barely spoken to me since the engagement ball," said Zane, staring at the blond intently.

"I've had a lot on my mind," said Grey dismissively.

"Tell me the truth, Grey," snapped Zane. "What is going on?"

Grey quickly cast a privacy bubble around the table. With the spell set, he looked at Zane with a fierce scowl. "You want to know what's wrong with me, Zane. I'm pregnant, that's what's wrong."

Zane stared at Grey in shock. "P-Pregnant? How... I mean, when... I-Is it mine?"

Grey glared at the Incubus as he got to his feet. "You're a fucking arsehole, Zane. Unlike you, I don't sleep around with everything on two legs." He turned to leave, but Zane quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, Grey. I'm sorry. I was just shocked," said Zane, pushing Grey back down into his seat. He pulled his chair over beside the blond and sat down. He looked down at Grey's stomach and swallowed hard when he saw the slightly swollen belly. "What are we going to do?"

"There is no 'we', Zane," said Grey bluntly. "You're getting married to your precious little Succubus, and I'm putting the baby up for adoption. Harry's guardian has already agreed to adopt it."

"Don't I get any say in this?" asked Zane angrily.

"Do you really think your fiancé is going to willingly agree to help raise your bastard child, Zane?" asked Grey mockingly. "Because we both know that's the only other option. My family would sooner kill it than raise it, especially if it turns out to be an Incubus or Succubus." Grey sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Letting Remus adopt the baby is the best decision for the baby. He even agreed to let us visit as often as we liked."

"How did we end up like this?" asked Zane miserably. "We were best friends once."

"Yeah, we were. And then we decided to muddy the waters by adding sex into the mix," said Grey ruefully.

"I still love you, you know," said Zane sincerely.

"And I love you," said Grey. "But… I need someone who will devote themselves to me and only me, and you could never do that. Your very nature won't allow it, and my nature will tolerate nothing less."

Zane slowly reached out and placed his hand on Grey's belly. "I want to be there when the baby is born, so that I can at least see it once before Remus takes him."

"I'd like that," said Grey honestly. He leaned forward and kissed Zane on the cheek. "I've had a long day, so I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Zane."

"Goodnight, Grey," said Zane, watching the blond walk out of the library with a heavy heart. He was going to be a father to a child he would barely know throughout its life. How did his life get so complicated?

XxX

Harry left the Magi Arts classroom with a sigh. Grey had missed class, and Harry was worried about him. Over the last two and half months, the blond had become more and more withdrawn. Grey was in the last stages of his pregnancy, the time he needed the most help, and he would barely let anyone near him. Harry was the only exception to that, and even he was ignored sometimes.

Harry decided to head to the dining hall for lunch when he heard a pained growl. Frowning slightly, he cautiously followed the sound to a small alcove near the Ancient Runes classroom. He slowly approached the alcove only to freeze in shock when he saw a very pregnant tiger curled up on its side.

"G-Grey? Is that you?" Harry asked hesitantly.

The tiger whined pitifully and looked down. Harry followed its gaze and saw the tiger's stomach harden in a contraction. "Oh, you're in labour. We need to get you to the infirmary immediately."

The tiger just whined again. There was no way he was going to be walking to the infirmary any time soon. He could barely breathe through the pain, much less walk down several flights of stairs.

"Don't worry, Grey. I'll get you there safely," said Harry soothingly. He gently stroked his fingers across the tiger's stomach, sending a soothing stream of healing magic to help ease the pain a bit. With the tiger somewhat calmer, Harry carefully levitated the tiger and guided him down the corridor.

Ignoring the incredulous stares and whispers, Harry got Grey to the infirmary as quickly as he could. Settling Grey on the first available bed, Harry called for Healer Carrington. The Healer stalked into the room with a scowl on his face.

"What do you brats want now? I'm trying to sleep here," snapped the Healer irritably.

Harry, in no mood to deal with the annoying man, grabbed the Healer by the front of his shirt and dragged him down to eye level. "Listen here, Carrington, Grey is in labour, and he needs your help. I suggest that you stop whinging about your damn nap and help him before I make you take a nap you never wake from," he growled threateningly.

Carrington stared at Harry in shock and a touch of fear. He quickly nodded, almost sighing in relief when Harry let him go, and hurried over to Grey. 'Note to self,' he silently thought. 'Do not make that boy angry in the future.'

Harry left Carrington with Grey and went in search of Octavius. Luck was with him because he saw the shadow demon on the stairs with Claudius. "Octavius!"

Octavius looked up and smiled at Harry, making his way to him. However, as he neared the brunet, he saw the distressed look on Harry's face. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Grey's in labour. Can you shadow me to the cottage to pick up Remus?" asked Harry quickly.

"Yeah, no problem," said Octavius. He looked back toward Claudius and said, "We've got an emergency situation, so go on ahead without us. I'll talk to you as soon as I can."

Claudius nodded and walked off.

"Hold on tight," said Octavius, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist. He pulled the shadows around them, and they disappeared from the school. A few minutes later, they stepped out of the shadows and into the living room of the cottage. However, they immediately wished they hadn't when they saw Remus and Bill shagging in front of the fireplace.

"Oh, I so did not need to see that," cried Harry, covering his eyes and turning his back on the pair.

"Harry!" yelped Remus, pushing Bill away and grabbing his robe to cover up. "What are you doing here?"

"Grey's in labour, so we came to get you," mumbled Harry.

"Oh!" cried Remus. He quickly snatched up the rest of his clothes and put them on. "Let's go then." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss against Bill's lips. "I'll be back soon."

Octavius smirked at the werewolf and grabbed Remus' hand, wrapping his other arm back around Harry's waist. He pulled them all into the shadows and stepped into the infirmary a few minutes later. Harry immediately walked over to Grey's bed and gently stroked the tiger's head.

"How is he?" he asked Healer Carrington.

Carrington smiled tightly at the teen. "I have to cut him open to retrieve the baby. Let's hope he doesn't bite my arm off."

"Good luck with that," said Harry with a sweet smile.

Carrington scowled at Harry and took a deep breath. Running his finger across the tiger's stomach, he cut delicately into the flesh. Fortunately, Harry kept Grey calm by sending subtle calming magic through the tiger with every stroke of his hand.

Carrington carefully reached into the opened skin and pulled out a slimy, bloody baby girl. He carefully laid the baby on the bed to clamp and cut the umbilical cord. Once that was done, he disposed of the placenta and carefully healed the incision. All that was left now was to clean, weigh, and measure the baby.

However, when he turned back toward the bed, he saw the tiger licking the baby clean. Once the tiger was done, Harry carefully lifted the infant into his arms. "She's beautiful, Grey."

A moment later, the tiger transformed back into a familiar blond. Harry smiled at Grey and gently placed the baby in the blond's arms. Grey cradled the newborn girl and smiled. Harry was right. She was beautiful. Grey leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his daughter's forehead, breathing in her scent for the last time.

"What are you going to name her?" asked Healer Carrington, taking the baby from Grey so he could weigh and measure her. "She's 50.8 centimetres long and weighs 2.8 kilograms."

"Since Mr. Lupin is adopting her, I think he should be the one to name her," said Grey softly, trying to distance himself a little. Otherwise, he didn't think he could let his little girl go.

"Gwendolyn Grace Lupin," said Remus firmly. As Healer Carrington filled in the birth certificate, Remus sat down on the bed beside Grey. "Are you sure this is what you really want, Grey?"

Grey nodded his head firmly. "I'm sure, Mr. Lupin. This is what's best for Gwendolyn. She needs someone who can love and support her better than I can. I'm content with just visiting her occasionally."

"No, you're not, but I can see that you've made up your mind," said Remus, pulling the blond into a hug. "Thank you, Grey, for allowing me to raise your daughter."

Healer Carrington stepped up to the bed and placed the newborn in Remus' arms. "Alright, you're free to take her home now."

"Wait!" said Grey, eyes widening when he realized that he'd forgotten all about Zane. "Zane hasn't seen her yet!"

"I'll go get him," said Octavius, disappearing into the shadows. Five minutes later, Octavius stepped back into the infirmary with a struggling Zane.

"Let me go, damn it," snarled Zane.

"Don't you want to see your daughter once before Remus takes her home?" asked Grey calmly.

"Daughter?" asked Zane, staring at Grey in shock. Then he noticed the small bundle in Remus' arms. "We have a daughter?" He walked up to Remus and held out his arms. "Can I hold her for a moment?"

"Of course," said Remus, handing the baby to Zane.

Zane nuzzled his nose into the baby's soft neck and breathed in deeply. He smiled slightly when he smelled the underlying scent of feline. His little girl was going to be shifter like her mother. "I love you, my sweet kitten. I'll miss you." Zane reluctantly handed the baby back to Remus.

"I guess I should get her home then," said Remus hesitantly. "Octavius, do you mind taking us back?"

"Not at all," said Octavius. He pulled Remus and Gwendolyn into the shadows, leaving a tense silence in the infirmary.

"Now that the drama is over, I'm going back to my nap," said Carrington, heading toward his office. His steps faltered slightly when he saw the cold look Harry gave him. He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut in front of that kid.

As soon as the healer was out of sight, Zane looked at Harry and asked, "What was that all about?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry curiously.

"That look you gave Healer Carrington," said Zane. "Not to mention the way he almost ran away from you."

Harry scowled. "It may have something to do with me threatening to make his bloody nap permanent earlier."

Grey stared at Harry in shock. "You threatened to kill him?"

"Not exactly," Harry hedged. "It's just that when I brought you into the infirmary, he came out of his office grumbling about his nap being disturbed, and I kind of snapped. I told him to quit whigning about his nap and help you before I make him take a nap he never wakes from."

Grey and Zane burst out laughing. Just the image of sweet, little Harry threatening the much larger healer was hilarious to them. Grey clapped Harry on the back. "Congratulations, Harry. You managed to terrify the healer."

"Well, if he'd just do his job instead of sleeping all the time, it wouldn't have come to that," said Harry defensively.

Grey suddenly threw his arms around Harry and buried his face in the brunet's neck. "Tell me I did the right thing, Harry," he mumbled.

"You did what you thought was best for your daughter, and that's all that matters," said Harry gently, rubbing Grey's back soothingly. "Besides, you'll see her again, Grey. You can visit any time you like."

Grey nodded against Harry's neck. He just hoped he'd done the right thing, and his daughter didn't grow to hate him for this.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Albus looked at the heritage tapestry and tapped his chin thoughtfully. The tapestry only recorded the last seven generations, but that should be more than sufficient to narrow down the magical creature heritage Potter recently received. The names on the tapestry were written in red for wizard, blue for full-blooded magical creature, and purple for wizards with a magical creature parent. Non-magical ancestors were left off entirely. Unfortunately, since he'd had to use Harry's human blood to create the tapestry, it didn't show Harry's inheritance.

Starting from the top, Albus saw three silver names. However, his eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the children of two of the names were red instead of purple. He placed his finger on Amity Dubois's name and traced it down two generations, where her granddaughter's name was written in silver. Apparently, the Siren ancestry could skip generations. He looked at the other name and traced Raja Kadel's name down three generations, where two of his great-grandson's names were written in silver. So the Heliopath ancestry could skip generations, as well.

Scanning the rest of the tapestry, Albus saw two Veela, one Wood Elf, and one Snake Demon, but all of the names directly under those names were written in purple. Albus grinned smugly. Now that he had Potter's inheritance narrowed down to two, it should make finding the brat much easier.

Albus pushed the tapestry aside and looked out the window, a scowl crossing his face when he saw Fawke's empty perch. He suddenly growled softly and set the perch on fire. If it weren't for him telling everyone that it was mating season for phoenixes, Albus' reputation would have taken a serious blow from the bloody bird's disappearing act. Fortunately, most people weren't that knowledgeable about phoenixes, so no one doubted his claim. No doubt, the traitor had fled to Potter's side the first chance he got.

Voldemort's horcruxes was another issue Albus still needed to deal with. He found the diadem in the Room of Requirement over the summer and destroyed it immediately. He found another horcrux, the Gaunt ring, over the Christmas holidays, but he hadn't destroyed it yet. He also had a good idea of where to find the locket, but the goblet and Nagini were still out of his reach for the moment. Of course, once those were destroyed, Albus still needed Potter in hand to destroy the final horcrux within the brat before he could defeat Voldemort.

Albus reached into his desk drawer and picked up the Gaunt ring. He held the ring reverently as he stared at the engraved stone. He just couldn't bring himself to destroy this horcrux simply because it was so much more than that. This ring was also the famed Resurrection Stone, one of the three Deathly Hallows, and the Hallow that he'd spent the majority of his life trying to find. With the Resurrection Stone, and the judicious use of a few spells he'd found over the years, he could control the spirits the ring called forth.

Holding the ring delicately in his fingers, Albus stared at the symbol on the ring in fascination. Trying out the ring before the horcrux within had to be destroyed wouldn't hurt anyone, would it? He wouldn't wear it long, certainly not long enough for the horcrux to try to gain control over him. With that thought in mind, Albus confidently slid the ring onto his right ring finger.

Unfortunately for Albus, it wasn't the horcrux he had to worry about. As soon as the ring was on his finger, a deadly curse on the ring became active. Albus' right hand began to blacken and shrivel up before slowly spreading up his arm. He quickly ripped the ring off his finger and grabbed Gryffindor's sword off the wall, cracking the stone with the blade, hoping that would be enough to break the curse. His hopes were in vain, however, as the deadly curse still continued to spread, creeping up his arm toward his elbow.

Stumbling to the floo, Albus frantically fire-called Severus.

XxX

Severus scowled as he graded his last class's exams. If these scores were any indication, he wouldn't have to worry about admitting any of them into his N.E.W.T. level classes. So far, the highest score was an A, and that was being generous.

The floo in his office suddenly activated, and Severus wanted to curse viciously. There was only one person who would be bothering him right now, and that was Albus Dumbledore. A second later, he was proven correct when Albus' head appeared in the flames with a frantic shout of Severus' name.

"What is it now, Albus?" asked Severus with a weary sigh.

"Severus, I need you in my office as quickly as possible, and bring some healing potions with you," Albus ordered quickly.

"What kind of healing potions?" asked Severus warily.

"Bring them all if you have to, but hurry," snapped Albus before ending the call abruptly.

Severus stared at the fireplace for a long moment before a slow smile curled his lips. It seemed that Albus had gotten into a little trouble and needed his help to fix whatever mess he'd managed to make. Perhaps Albus' end would come sooner than he thought. Grabbing a phial of every single healing potion he had in stock, Severus stalked to the fireplace and flooed directly to the Headmaster's office.

When Severus stepped out of the fireplace, Albus immediately help up his blackened, shriveled hand. "Fix it, Severus. That damn ring had a curse on it."

Severus stared incredulously at the Headmaster. "You mean the ring you found over the Yule holidays? The one that was turned into a horcrux?"

"Yes, Severus, that one," snapped Albus impatiently.

"What in Merlin's name possessed you to put that ring on your finger? You knew it was dangerous," asked Severus irritably.

"Never you mind about that, Severus. Just fix my arm," said Albus.

Severus scowled at the old man and stepped forward to examine Albus' arm. He promptly had to bite back a smug grin at the results of his examination. He recognized the curse on the Headmaster's arm, and there was no cure for it. Albus was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Albus, there is no cure for this curse. The most I can hope to do is to slow the spread of the curse, but it will only extend your life a few more months," said Severus with false sympathy.

Albus stared at Severus in horror. "A few months? That's it?"

"Albus, the curse was designed to kill its victim in a matter of hours," Severus patiently explained. He grabbed one of the healing potions and handed it to the old man. "Take this. It should slow the curse down long enough to give me time to make a more suitable potion."

Albus cursed softly and drank the potion. Of all the rotten luck. All of his carefully laid plans were ruined by one moment of stupidity. He should have known the ring was cursed, considering the family it came from, but he'd ignored common sense in his desire to use the Resurrection Stone before it had to be destroyed.

Albus suddenly paused thoughtfully. Maybe he could still continue with his plans. He could create his own horcrux and have Severus revive him once the curse was complete. But who should he use to create it? The Malfoy boy! The little brat already had a mission to try to kill him. Instead of using the Malfoy boy's mission to fake his death, lulling Voldemort into a false sense of security and cementing Severus' role as a loyal Death Eater, he would kill the Malfoy heir to create a horcrux for himself.

Severus stared at the Headmaster warily. He didn't like the look in the old man's eyes. It was a look he'd seen far too often these days, and it never boded well for anyone but Albus.

"Has the Malfoy boy made any progress in his mission?" asked Albus quickly.

"I don't know. Draco hasn't seen fit to confide in me these days," said Severus slowly, a sense of dread settling in his stomach.

"Well see if you can find out. I need to know when he makes his attempt so I can be ready for him," said Albus calmly.

Severus silently cursed. He never should have told Albus about Draco's mission. Regrettably, he'd informed the Headmaster before the Potter incident, when he'd learned the truth about the old wizard. And now the old man had something vile planned, something involving Draco.

"I doubt you actually have anything to worry about with Draco," said Severus. "It should be fairly simple to stun the boy and create a memory of me killing you."

A strange smile crossed Albus' face at that. "It's best to be prepared for any eventuality, Severus."

Severus felt a chill climb up his spine at the sight of that smile, and he silently vowed to get Draco out of Hogwarts as soon as possible. There was no way in hell he was going to give Albus the chance to do whatever he had planned to Draco. "Indeed. Then if that is all, I need to start brewing your potions."

"Of course, Severus," said Albus benignly.

Severus immediately turned and flooed back to his office. He had his own plans to make.

XxX

_Lupin,_

_As much as I hate to say this, I need your help. I swore an Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa Malfoy, swearing to protect her son's life, and unfortunately, Draco Malfoy's life is now in grave danger. I'm afraid that Albus plans to kill him to either make a horcrux of his own, using Draco's death to create it, or to perform a ritual of some sort to transfer a deadly curse from his arm onto Draco's body. _

_To fulfill my Vow to Narcissa, I'm asking you to provide a safe haven for Draco until the war is over, Lupin. There's nowhere else safe enough for him to go. _

_Severus Snape_

Remus slowly set the letter aside with a loud sigh. He didn't know why he was constantly surprised by the evil deeds Dumbledore continued to commit. After all, he'd willingly left Harry to die at the hands of his abusers. But it did. There was still a small part of him that still saw Dumbledore as the kind old man that planted the Whomping Willow and provided him a safe place for his monthly transformations while he attended Hogwarts. How could that kindly old man turn into something so twisted and dark that he was willing to sacrifice any one to gain more power?

Bill walked into the kitchen with Gwen asleep in his arms. He paused slightly at the pensive look on his lover's face. "What's wrong, Remus?" he asked as he sat down at the table.

Remus just handed Bill the letter.

Bill looked at the letter warily as he took it from Remus and began to read. He shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't thought Dumbledore could sink any lower, but apparently he was wrong. He looked up at Remus and said, "I don't mind the kid staying here as long as he swears an Unbreakable Vow not to harm Gwen or Harry. After all, we certainly have plenty of room."

"Right now we do," said Remus dryly. "But I imagine it's going to be pretty crowded once the summer holidays start."

Bill frowned slightly in confusion. "Why do you say that? It'll just be us, Harry, and the Malfoy boy."

Remus stared at his lover in disbelief. "I would think your parents would want to visit to see the baby, and I'm quite sure they'll be bringing the rest of the family, including Hermione. And if you think Harry's three mates are going to allow Harry out of their sight for the entire summer, you've lost your mind. Those three are very possessive of Harry, after all. And then there's the fact that we promised to allow Grey to visit his daughter any time he wishes, so he'll probably spend a few weeks here over the summer. Plus, we're already one room short because we turned one of the guest bedrooms into a nursery for Gwen."

Bill's eyes widened in panic, having only heard the first sentence of Remus' rant. He knew he'd forgotten something. "Mum's going to kill me! I completely forgot to tell her about Gwen."

Remus snickered softly and took Gwen from the redhead. "Maybe you'll luck out, and she'll be too ecstatic about being a grandmother to even consider killing you."

"I can only hope," said Bill miserably as he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill.

Remus just grinned and carried Gwen out of the kitchen. He had a letter of his own to write. He needed to give Harry fair warning about the Malfoy boy's impending stay at the cottage.

XxX

Harry was startled awake by a flash of fire. He sat up quickly, forgetting that he'd fallen asleep on the sofa while doing his homework, and almost fell to the floor. He gasped in surprise when he saw Fawkes standing on the coffee table.

As soon as Harry was looking at him, the phoenix pushed something across the table toward the brunet. Harry looked down curiously and saw a large red, speckled egg. "You want me to have this?" he asked slowly.

Fawkes dipped his head in agreement. Harry carefully picked up the egg, surprised at the warmth exuding through the shell. However, as soon as the egg was in Harry's grasp, the phoenix burst into flames, but no baby phoenix emerged from the ashes. Instead, a sudden breeze swept through the room, scattering the ashes everywhere.

Harry blinked back tears when he realized what that meant. Fawkes was dead, and the only thing Harry had to remind him of the dear phoenix's presence was the egg cradled in his hands. Unbidden, a tear slid down his cheek and landed on the egg. The teardrop sizzled briefly, and then the egg shook.

Harry jumped in surprise and looked down at the egg just as a long crack appeared in the eggshell. Several more cracks quickly followed before a small piece of the shell broke off and fell onto Harry's lap. A moment later, a tiny beak gripped the edge of broken shell and pulled, breaking the shell further. Then a tiny red and golden head poked through the hole and chirped softly.

"Hello, little one," whispered Harry, helping the tiny phoenix the rest of the way out of the shell.

The phoenix chirped happily and ruffled its tiny sparsely feathered wings.

Harry smiled softly and stroked a finger along one of the phoenix's wings. "Now we just need a name for you." He stared down at the phoenix for a long moment before a smile crossed his face. "How about Pyralis? It means 'of fire.' Appropriate for a phoenix, don't you think?"

Focussed as he was on his new phoenix, Harry didn't hear anyone enter the room until Tristan said, "Harry, what in the world is that ugly thing?"

"A baby phoenix," said Harry.

Tristan stared at Harry in shock. "Where the hell did you get a baby phoenix?"

"Fawkes gave him to me just before he died," said Harry sadly.

"You mean your old Headmaster's phoenix?" asked Tristan incredulously. "Phoenixes are immortal, Harry. Maybe it just had a burning day, and you didn't see it revive."

"Tristan, Fawkes burst into flames, turned to ashes, and then scattered in the wind," said Harry calmly. "Nothing is truly immortal, Tristan. Everything dies eventually."

Tristan sighed and sat on the sofa beside Harry, looking at phoenix chick curiously. "So have you named it yet?"

"Pyralis," said Harry softly. Before he could say anything else, Dobby popped into the room with an excited bounce.

"Harry Potter Sir, your wolfie has a letter for you." Dobby started to hand the letter to Harry, but then he saw the phoenix. His eyes widened in awe at the sight. "I knew Harry Potter Sir was a great wizard, and now Harry Potter Sir has phoenix familiar."

"Thanks, Dobby," said Harry. He suddenly smiled as a thought occurred to him. "I don't suppose you can get me some treats and food for my new phoenix, could you, Dobby?"

"Dobby be happy to, Harry Potter Sir," said Dobby eagerly. "Dobby be right back." Almost tossing the letter in his hand to Harry, Dobby disappeared from the room with a loud pop.

Harry shook his head in amusement and opened the letter. As he read, however, a anger began to build inside him. Dumbledore was absolutely insane to even consider the idea of creating a horcrux. He knew what such dark magic did to people. He'd seen Voldemort in all his reptilian glory, after all.

"That man is going to come to an unpleasant end one day soon," said Tristan coldly.

"Yes, he will," Harry agreed softly. 'Be careful, Snape. Dumbledore is far from a helpless old man.'

Dobby popped back into the room just then with a huge burlap sack. "Here is Harry Potter Sir's phoenix treats and food."

"Thank you, Dobby. I appreciate all your hard work," said Harry sincerely.

Dobby promptly burst into tears. "Harry Potter Sir just gets kinder every time Dobby see him."

Harry smiled fondly at the house-elf. Dobby was certainly an indispensable ally and a great friend.

Dobby suddenly scowled and sighed irritably. "Dobby must go. Dumbdore be calling Dobby to him."

"Be careful around, Dumbledore, Dobby. He's-"

"Dobby knows. Dumbdore bad wizard. Dobby always careful around him," said Dobby firmly. With that said, he popped out of the room.

"He'll be fine, Harry," said Tristan reassuringly. "Now let's see what he brought us." Tristan got off the sofa and grabbed the burlap sack. He opened it and peered inside, jaw dropping in shock at the sheer amount of food packed into the bag. "I don't think your phoenix will go hungry anytime soon, Harry."

Harry grinned at the redhead. "That's Dobby for you. He always goes that extra mile for his friends." He looked at the tiny phoenix in his arms and looked back to Tristan. "Is there anything a baby phoenix can eat? You know, something soft?"

"There is, actually," said Tristan, pulling a small tin out of the bag. He opened it open and promptly grimaced, carrying the tin over to Harry. "Have fun with that."

The contents of the tin didn't bother Harry one bit. After all, he had owned an owl before, and Hedwig was quite fond of leaving him partially eaten mice and snakes as gifts. Harry scooped some of the sliced worms onto a transfigured bowl and set Pyralis on the table to eat. The phoenix chirped happily and promptly dug in.

"Have you thought about when you want to bond with us?" asked Tristan abruptly.

"I'm curious about that, as well," said Octvaius, stepping out of the shadows and pulling Zenith with him.

"Stalker," muttered Tristan.

"How did you get your hands on a newborn phoenix, Harry?" asked Zenith, staring at the phoenix curiously.

"Fawkes brought it to me," said Harry with a sad smile. "Pyralis hatched less than an hour ago."

"It looks like a plucked chicken. Are you sure it's a phoenix?" asked Octavius bluntly.

Harry snickered at that. "When I saw Fawkes' rebirth for the first time, I thought he looked like a half-plucked turkey."

Octavius just shrugged and flopped down beside Harry. "Now what have you decided about our bonding?"

"I thought we could bond a few days before school let out for summer holidays," said Harry hesitantly.

Zenith nodded approvingly. "That's perfect, actually. There are no classes the last week of school to give the professors time to grade and return all of the end of year tests."

"Yeah, and I need to talk to Healer Carrington about contraceptives because I am nowhere near ready for children," said Harry emphatically. "I still have another year of school and a Mastery to pursue. Not to mention having to deal with Voldemort and Dumbledore."

"Time to celebrate!" cried Octavius gleefully. He pulled Harry off the sofa and ushered him toward his bedroom, stripping the brunet's shirt off as they went.

Tristan and Zenith quickly followed the pair. They were all for a little celebration.

Pyralis looked up from his food and chirped in amusement. Life with these four certainly wouldn't be dull.

XxX

Molly bustled around the kitchen, busy preparing breakfast, when an owl swooped through the open window and dropped a letter on the table. Before she could even offer the owl a treat of any sort, the bird hooted softly and flew back out the window. She shook her head and picked up the letter, smiling when she saw Bill's familiar handwriting on the envelope. She eagerly opened the letter and started reading.

_Mum,_

_I hope you're doing well and that Dumbledore isn't causing too much trouble. If he is, though, I have some news that's sure to cheer you up._

_Remus and I are fathers now. We adopted a baby girl a month ago and named her Gwendolyn Grace Lupin, but we call her Gwen. She's perfect, Mum, like a little angel._

_As her grandmother, you are, of course, welcome to visit any time. However, you should know that we have a few extra guests staying this summer. Snape asked us to allow Draco Malfoy to stay with us, and we agreed. Gwen__'s carrier will also be spending part of the summer here to visit with his daughter._

_Sorry for not telling you sooner, but we__'re still adjusting to having a child. It's a lot of work, and I have newfound respect for you for having seven of them. __We look forward to seeing you soon._

_Love, Bill_

Molly stared down at the letter in shock before a happy squeal escaped her mouth. Her oldest son had finally granted her deepest wish and made her a grandmother. She quickly grabbed the picture that was sent along with the letter and cooed at the adorable baby girl. She was simply gorgeous with her cute little tufts of golden blonde hair and wide grey eyes.

Molly couldn't wait to meet her new granddaughter. She was a little worried about the fact that Draco Malfoy would be at the cottage with the new family, though. There was also the matter of the baby's biological carrier being involved, but she trusted Bill's judgment. If they were alright with all this, then she had no room to complain.

"What's got you in such a good mood, dear?" asked Arthur as he walked into the kitchen for supper. He sat down at the table and poured himself some pumpkin juice.

Molly smiled happily and said, "Bill has finally done his duty as our eldest son and has given us a granddaughter."

Arthur promptly choked on the pumpkin juice he was drinking. "W-What? When did that happen? I didn't even realize either of them was pregnant."

"Oh, they weren't," said Molly dismissively. "They adopted a little girl. Isn't she beautiful?"

Arthur took the picture Molly was waving in front of his face and looked at his new granddaughter. He smiled warmly at the scene. The baby was lying in Remus' arms as Bill kissed her little hands. It was obvious to him that the two men were already head over heels for the little girl. "She certainly is, Molly."

"Oh, I wish they'd told me sooner. I have so much knitting to do for the baby," said Molly. With that said, she hurried out of the kitchen to do just that, forgetting all about the cooking food.

Arthur just shook his head fondly and finished the cooking. It was nice to see his wife this happy again. With all the stress from Dumbledore's manipulations and schemes, those times were few and far between these days.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Remus and Bill spent the next two weeks completely remodelling the cottage. Four more rooms had been added, and the kitchen and living room had been enlarged to twice the size it previously was. Hopefully, the new additions would be more than enough to comfortably accommodate everyone this summer.

Remus was a little worried, though. Considering Malfoy's actions in the past, his mere presence was sure to cause a lot of problems during his stay here. And the thought of what Harry's mates would do to the boy the first time he opened his mouth to insult Harry was giving Remus nightmares. He did not want to have to explain to Severus why he was sending Malfoy back to him in pieces.

"Having second thoughts?" asked Bill quietly. "We can think of something else, you know. The Malfoy brat doesn't have to stay here if you're that worried about it."

Remus smiled ruefully. "Just a little bit. I keep envisioning Octavius or Zenith ripping Malfoy apart simply because he couldn't resist the urge to insult Harry."

Bill snorted at that. "I honestly don't think we have to worry about that. Harry knows how to keep his boys in line."

"I hope you're right," said Remus with a sigh. "Now we'll just have to worry about Ron."

"You won't have to worry about that either. Mum and Hermione will keep that boy in line," said Bill laughingly. "Has Severus told you when to expect the boy?"

"In one week," said Remus. "And Harry gets out of school two days later."

"Mum said that the family would be here in two weeks," said Bill dryly. "They're heading to Gringotts as soon as the kids get off the train to take a portkey here."

Remus laughed at that. It didn't surprise him at all that Molly was planning to come here as soon as the family was together. She probably would have been here as soon as she found out about Gwen if she could have.

"Only one week of peace and quiet left. Whatever shall we do with that time?" asked Bill, leering playfully at the werewolf.

Unfortunately, the monitor alarm on Gwen went off just seconds before they heard her start crying. Bill groaned softly. Every damn time. It seemed that every time he and Remus could finally get a little alone time, that was when Gwen decided she needed their attention most.

"I'll get her. She's probably just hungry," said Remus. "She'll probably be back to sleep in no time."

Remus hurried to the nursery and lifted the crying baby out of the crib. He carried her over to the changing table and deftly changed her soiled nappy for a fresh one before carrying her to the kitchen to prepare her a bottle. After feeding her, Remus fully expected her to fall asleep again, but she stubbornly stayed awake, looking at her surroundings curiously.

Bill walked into the kitchen, took one look at the happily cooing baby, and sighed. There went his plans for Remus. He couldn't stay disappointed for long, though, as he watched Remus play with their daughter. It was an utterly adorable sight.

XxX

As soon as the last student left for the day, Severus began his search for Draco. Unfortunately, the blond had become adept at hiding during the last two weeks, so finding him was going to be a challenge. Severus could only hope Dumbledore waited until end of term exams were over before making his move. That, at least, should give him two more days.

Severus searched the Slytherin common room first with no luck. A search of the dungeons and the first four floors of the castle yielded no results, either. He finally overheard one of the Gryffindors commenting to her friend about Malfoy creeping around the seventh floor and hurried up the stairs. Severus walked swiftly down the seventh floor corridor but saw no sight of his blond-haired student. He was just about to give up when a door suddenly appeared in the wall in front of him. The door opened, and Draco walked out of a hidden room.

Draco froze when he saw Severus. Before he could second guess himself, he reached into his pocket and tossed a handful of black powder into the air, dousing the corridor in an impenetrable darkness. Keeping his hand firmly on the wall, Draco ran through the darkness, headed for the astronomy tower.

Severus cursed the darkness blinding him and followed the sound of Draco's retreating footsteps. He finally broke through the darkness, but Draco was nowhere in sight. However, from where he stood, the only place the boy could run was up to the astronomy tower, so he headed up the stairs.

Severus reached the top of the stairs just as Dumbledore fired a cutting curse toward Draco. With surprising speed, he ran to the blond, tackling him to the floor, wincing as the spell grazed his back. He immediately had to roll them out of the way of another spell.

"Severus, what are you doing?" Albus demanded angrily. "If we want to win this war, that boy has to die. I'm the only one who can end it. You know this, Severus."

Severus stared at the Headmaster in disbelief. The man was absolutely insane, and there was only one thing Severus could do in the face of this insanity. He raised his wand to end Albus' life, but before he could utter a single spell, the door to the astronomy tower burst open and several Death Eaters ran into the room.

Severus silently cursed and grabbed Draco, pressing the portkey he'd arranged against the blond's chest and activating it. They landed gracelessly in the sand just outside Bill's cottage. Draco immediately scrambled to his feet, staring at his surroundings wildly.

"Where am I? Where have you brought me?" he demanded frantically.

"Calm down, Draco. You're safe here," said Severus softly, walking up to the front door and knocking.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Draco was shocked to see Professor Lupin. "You brought me to the werewolf?"

"He and Bill Weasley are providing sanctuary for you," said Severus impatiently. "Or would you rather I let Albus kill you?"

"Why don't you two come in?" asked Remus, already feeling a headache coming. "Would you like anything to eat? We were just about to eat supper."

"Yes, thank you," said Severus, dragging Draco to the kitchen.

Draco froze in shock when he saw Bill sitting at the table, feeding a blonde-haired infant. "What the bloody hell is going on, Severus?"

Severus sighed and pushed Draco down into a chair before taking a seat himself, wincing when his wounded back came into contact with the back of the chair. "I already told you. Bill and Remus agreed to give you sanctuary here."

"Provided that you swear an Oath to do no harm to either Gwen or Harry," Remus added firmly.

"Wait, Potter's here?" asked Draco incredulously.

"Not at the moment," said Remus. "However, school holidays start in four days, so he will be here then."

"School holidays? But he- Never mind," said Draco with a weary sigh. He was suddenly exhausted. He'd gone months with little sleep in his haste to complete the task the Dark Lord had given him, and then Dumbledore had just tried to kill him, and now he was apparently going to be living with a werewolf, a Weasley, and Potter. To protect his sanity from all the craziness around him, he was just going to eat and go to bed. He would deal with everything some other day. "I'm not really hungry right now. Can you just show me where I'm supposed to sleep?"

"Of course," said Remus. He turned to Bill and held out his hands. "Let me have her, and I'll put her to bed." Taking Gwen from Bill, Remus showed Draco to his room and left the blond to his rest. He could only hope the boy remained as polite once the rest of the family showed up. He then took Gwen to the nursery and put her in the crib, setting the monitoring alarms around the crib in case she woke up.

As Remus walked back to the kitchen, he heard Severus say, "The old man really did try to kill Draco. I would have ended the bastard's life before we left, but Draco did manage to do one part of his mission right."

"And what was that?" asked Bill curiously.

"Find a way to get the Death Eaters into the school," said Severus grimly. "Several Death Eaters came up to the astronomy tower just as I was about to kill Dumbledore, so I just grabbed Draco and portkeyed away."

Bill and Remus just stared at Severus in horror. "What about the students, though?" asked Remus worriedly.

"I don't know, Remus," said Severus in a frustrated growl. "I do know one thing, though. Minerva and Filius will protect the students at any cost. If anyone should worry, it's the morons who took on the task to infiltrate Hogwarts."

Bill had the urge to storm to the Malfoy brat's room and beat the hell out of the kid. If his brothers and sister were hurt because of this, he still may do just that. What kind of idiot was Malfoy, letting a bunch of Death Eaters into a school full of children?

"Why would he do that?" asked Remus in a horrified whisper. "Surely he knows just what they're capable of."

"He didn't have a choice, Remus. The Dark Lord threatened to kill his parents if he didn't complete his task," said Severus wearily.

"He had a damn a choice, Severus," snapped Bill angrily. "As much as I love my family, I wouldn't sacrifice a whole school of kids just to save them. Hell, Mum would kill me if I even entertained the idea of doing that. He had a choice, and he made a fucking crappy one."

"He's not the first child to put others in danger in an effort to save a loved one," said Severus pointedly, referring to Harry's excursion to the Ministry of Magic to save Sirius.

"Harry didn't put them in danger, though. They did that themselves when they refused to allow Harry to go alone," said Remus calmly. "However, you do have a point. People tend to do stupid things when it comes to protecting those they love. Besides, Draco's probably blaming himself enough right now without us adding to it."

"I have to get back to the school," said Severus abruptly. "Minerva is probably wondering where I am."

"Send Dobby with a note later, Severus, and let us know what happened tonight," said Remus firmly.

Severus nodded curtly and pulled another portkey from his pocket, activating it quickly.

XxX

Albus almost howled in fury when his prey disappeared in front of his eyes. He turned to face the Death Eaters invading his school and fired a Killing Curse at the nearest person. The curse hit the Death Eater, killing him instantly. Albus quickly cast the spell to separate a piece of his soul and store it in the Dumbledore family ring, but before he could complete the spell, a clawed hand punctured his back. He looked over his shoulder and saw a very feral looking Fenrir Greyback smirking smugly at him. He desperately tried to draw in enough air to finish the spell, but all he could do was gasp and wheeze as his punctured lungs filled with his own blood.

Greyback laughed uproariously as the Headmaster fell to his knees, choking on his own blood. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight, old man. I really don't see why the Dark Lord was so afraid of you." He casually licked the blood off his fingers and then kicked Albus in the stomach, lifting the old wizard's body completely off the ground and sending him flying off the astronomy tower. "What a waste of time."

With the major obstacle out of the way, Greyback howled happily and ran out of the astronomy tower in search of better prey. Unfortunately for him, the first person he encountered was Filius Flitwick, who wasted no time in casting a Cutting curse on the werewolf. The curse hit Greyback on his right knee, completely severing his leg. Greyback crashed to the ground with a howl of pain. Glaring up at the diminutive professor, he snarled in anger and began crawling toward his prey.

Flitwick stared at the injured werewolf with pitying eyes and raised his wand once more. He couldn't allow this rabid animal to hurt his students, so that left only one thing for him to do. Whispering another cutting curse, he watched regretfully as the werewolf's head was severed cleanly from the rest of his body.

A bright green light speeding toward him had Flitwick dodging behind a nearby statue. He peeked around the statue and saw three more Death Eaters leaving the astronomy tower. With lightning quick reflexes, Flitwick darted out from behind the statue, casting three spells in quick succession, and ducked behind a suit of armor. Only one of the spells managed to hit, but Flitwick was by no means finished. He darted out from behind the armor and cast four spells this time before ducking back behind the statue. This time, two of the spells hit, but they both hit the same person.

Unfortunately, Flitwick was forced to abandon his hiding spot when the statue shattered into little pieces. He stepped away from the rubble and boldly faced the remaining Death Eater. There was a long moment of perfect stillness before both opponents burst into motion, shooting spells at an astonishing pace. However, despite his normally happy personality, Professor Flitwick showed why he was the reigning Duelling Champion in his younger years, beating his opponent soundly.

Flitwick paused only long enough to catch his breath before moving to the three stunned Death Eaters and binding them securely. He levitated the three bodies into the air and guided them down the stairs toward the infirmary. Hopefully Madame Pomfrey had enough potions in stock to keep the prisoners sedated until the Ministry could be alerted.

XxX

Severus landed in the Entrance Hall and immediately ran for the stairs. He ordered every student he passed to get to the nearest classroom and stay out of sight. When he reached the fourth floor, he saw Minerva duelling against two Death Eaters and quickly stunned them from behind.

"Severus, where have you been? The school is being overrun by Death Eaters," asked Minerva irritably. "How did they even get onto school grounds without alerting the wards?"

"I don't know," lied Severus. "Where is Albus?"

"I have no idea," said Minerva with a frustrated sigh. "He left the school earlier this evening on some errand."

Not even two minutes after she said that, they heard an anguished cry from outside. They rushed to the nearest window and saw Hagrid cradling Albus' body in his arms. Minerva gasped in shock at the sight.

Severus pulled her away from the window. "There's no time for that right now, Minerva. There still may Death Eaters in the school, and we have to keep the students safe."

"Y-You're right, Severus," said Minerva. "I'll search this floor. You take the fifth floor."

"Be careful, Minerva," said Severus before running for the stairs.

When he reached the fifth floor, Severus was shocked to see Granger and the three Weasley siblings standing with six Death Eaters stunned at their feet. Granger smiled in relief when she saw him.

"Professor Snape, thank goodness you're here. We took care of these guys, but we saw four Death Eaters heading for the library," said Hermione quickly.

Just then, they saw Professor Flitwick heading down the stairs with three Death Eaters floating behind him. Severus looked at the four students. "You four help Flitwick with the stunned Death Eaters. I'll go to the library after the others."

"Yes, sir," said Hermione quickly. The five teens quickly levitated the Death Eaters and followed Professor Flitwick to the infirmary.

Severus rushed to the library, hoping to reach the Death Eaters before they encountered any students. However, when he burst into the library with wand raised, he immediately had to behind a bookshelf when a barrage of spells shot toward him. He peeked around the bookshelf and saw several Gryffindor students standing with wands ready.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for attacking a professor," said Severus dryly, smirking slightly as all of the students immediately lowered their wands. He cautiously stepped out from behind the bookshelf, snorting at the sight of the four Death Eaters lying on the floor. He'd never been more thankful that Potter had taken it upon himself to teach his classmates Defence more than now.

"Sorry, Professor Snape, we thought you were a Death Eater," said Neville sheepishly.

Severus sighed and pointed to Longbottom, Finnegan, and the Patil twins. "You four levitate them to the infirmary. Thomas and Brown, you two escort the younger students back to their common rooms and be quick about it."

"Yes, sir."

The students quickly scrambled to obey Professor Snape, and within a few short minutes, the library was still and silent. A few moments later, Minerva stormed into the room.

"Severus, is everyone alright? I just saw several of my students levitating Death Eaters to the infirmary," she said in a rush.

"You have Potter and his Defence Association to thank for that," said Severus softly. "Those students single-handedly took down ten fully trained wizards because of that extra training."

Minerva smiled slightly. "He'd make a wonderful professor, wouldn't he? Did you know that he taught every single one of the D.A. members how to cast a Patronus?"

Severus' eyes widened in shock. No, he didn't know that. The Patronus Charm was a spell that fully trained wizards had trouble with, and Potter had managed to teach a bunch of kids how to do the spell?

"It's no wonder they managed to survive that fiasco at the Ministry last year," muttered Severus softly. He looked up at Minerva and asked, "Have you alerted the Ministry yet?"

Minerva sighed softly. "Filius fire-called the Auror department when he got to the infirmary. Kingsley should be here shortly." She looked wearily at Severus. "Albus is dead, Severus."

"Don't mourn for him, Minerva," said Severus coldly. "His death was caused by his own foolishness." With that said, Severus stalked out of the library. He didn't feel any regret for Albus' death, and he wasn't about to pretend that he did. As far as he was concerned, Albus got what he deserved.

Severus made his way up to the astronomy tower. He needed to make sure the old coot hadn't managed to create a horcrux before he died. He grimaced in disgust when he stepped over Greyback's headless corpse and continued up the stairs into the tower. Severus felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw the dead Death Eater in the tower. Obviously, Albus had decided to use whatever was available to create his horcrux. Now he just needed to find the damn thing.

A glint of gold by the tower window drew Severus' attention. It was the Dumbledore family ring. He leaned down and picked it up, casting several spells on the ring to check for dark magic. The spells didn't reveal any dark magic, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Severus decided to have Harry's Shadow Demon lover check it as well.

"Dobby!"

The house-elf appeared a few seconds later. "Yes, Master Snapey?"

Severus handed Dobby the Dumbledore ring. "I want you to take this to Harry. Tell him to have the Shadow Demon check it for traces of dark magic. Then I want you to stop by Bill Weasley's cottage and tell them that his siblings are perfectly fine."

"Yes, Master Snapey," said Dobby eagerly, disappearing with a loud crack.

Severus sighed wearily. Now it was time to deal with the aftermath of this attack. It was going to be a long night.

XxX

Harry was studying for his upcoming Blood Rites final when Dobby popped into his room. Dobby immediately held the ring out to Harry and said, "Master Snapey told Dobby to bring this to Harry Potter Sir's Shadow Demon to check for traces of dark magic."

Harry slowly took the ring from Dobby with a bemused frown. "Snape wants Octavius to see if there are shadows of dark magic on the ring?"

Dobby nodded his head enthusiastically. "Exactly that, Harry Potter Sir."

"Well, Octavius is still in class right now. Just leave the ring here, and I'll have him check it when he comes in. Can you come back in two hours?" asked Harry, staring at the ring in his hand warily.

"Dobby can do that. Dobby needs to visit werewolf and werewolf's Weezy too," said Dobby. "They needs to know that other Weezy's is fine."

"Did something happen at Hogwarts?" asked Harry curiously.

"Hoggywarts was attacked," said Dobby, a little more subdued now. "But only Dumbdore was hurts in the attack. Dumbdore won'ts be bothering Harry Potter Sir no more."

"I see," said Harry faintly. It suddenly all made sense. Dumbledore was dead, and now Snape was sending a ring that was significant to the Headmaster to check for dark magic. Snape was afraid Dumbledore had managed to create a horcrux before he died. "Thank you, Dobby, for bringing this to me. I'll have Octavius check it and give it back to you when you return."

Dobby nodded quickly and popped out of the room.

Harry hurriedly put the ring on the bedside table, not taking any chances in case the ring truly was a horcrux. And if it was one, he would have to find a way to destroy it before it could be used to revive the manipulative bastard. Maybe dragon fire could destroy, especially Zenith's fire.

Of course, now there was no way Harry could concentrate enough to study for his final exam. The mere thought of having a piece of Dumbledore's soul near him was enough to give him the creeps. Sighing in frustration, Harry left the ring on the table and went into the common room. Shadow and Eclipse were curled up on the sofa asleep, so Harry decided to join them for a bit.

Transforming into his fox form, Harry jumped up onto the sofa and wiggled his way between the two kits, which were now bigger than he was. Shadow and Eclipsed just nuzzled the smaller kit affectionately and went back to sleep, curling around their master protectively. Pyralis, not wanting to be left out, flew over to the sofa and perched on Shadow's shoulder as he gently preened Harry's dark fur.

An hour later, Harry was pulled from his impromptu nap by a flash of light. He blearily opened his eyes and growled softly when he saw Zenith with a camera in his hands. He wriggled out from between Shadow and Eclipse and jumped to the floor, transforming back as he did.

"What is it with everyone taking pictures of me while I'm trying to sleep?" asked Harry irritably.

"You're adorable when you're asleep," said Zenith cheerfully.

"And I'm not when I'm awake?" asked Harry, scowling up at the Dracken.

"You're sexy when you're awake," said Zenith easily. He quickly raised the camera and snapped a few photos of the scowling brunet. He then put the camera away before Harry could try to take it from him. "I thought you were going to study for your Blood Rites exam today. Are you done already?"

"No, I couldn't bloody well concentrate because of that stupid ring Dobby brought me," said Harry in frustration.

"What ring?" asked Zenith curiously.

"Snape had Dobby bring it to me to check for dark magic because he's afraid Dumbledore may have created a horcrux, using it as his soul's container, before he died," said Harry wearily.

"It just never ends, does it?" sighed Zenith. He tugged gently on one of Harry's ears. "Go get your books, and I'll help you study until Octavius gets here. I'm sure I can find some way to keep your mind off that ring."

"And you think books are going to help you do that?" asked Harry incredulously.

Zenith just laughed and pushed him toward his bedroom. "You'd be surprised at what books can help me do."

Harry reluctantly got his books, studiously avoiding the ring on his nightstand, and went back out into the common room. Dropping his books heavily onto the table, he looked up at Zenith expectantly. "Where do we start?"

"Why don't I just quiz you first?" asked Zenith. "That will be the easiest way to figure out what you need the most help with."

Thirty minutes later, Harry dropped his head onto the table with a weary groan. Zenith was always such a cruel task master when it came to tutoring him. In a mere thirty minutes, the Dracken had managed to pound the information indelibly into his brain. There was absolutely no way he wouldn't ace this exam tomorrow after today's grueling session.

"No more, Zenith. My brain just can't handle any more information right now," Harry whined pitifully. Fortunately, the door opened just then, revealing Octavius. "Octavius, thank goodness you're here. Zenith is trying to kill from information overload."

Zenith just laughed at Harry's antics and shut the book he had open in his lap. "Fine, we'll stop for now. Besides, you actually have something a little more important to do now that Octavius is here."

Harry jumped to his feet and grabbed Octavius' arm, pulling him toward his bedroom. "That's right. You need to check this for traces of dark magic." He picked up the Dumbledore ring with a grimace of disgust and quickly handed it to Octavius. "Severus wants to make sure Dumbledore didn't manage to make a horcrux before he died."

Octavius looked at the ring, cringing slightly at the numbers of shadows clinging to the ring. "There's dark magic all over this ring. Now whether it's a horcrux or not is a different story." He tapped his finger against the ring. "Animus Aperio." A wispy blue light flickered amidst the black shadows.

"Does that mean it's a horcrux?" asked Harry hesitantly, staring at the glowing ring in horror.

"Not completely. It looks like he started the spell but never got the chance to finish it," said Octavius.

:"So what does that mean exactly? Do we need to destroy the ring?" asked Harry bluntly.

"It looks like he started the spell, but he didn't have time to completely anchor his spell to the ring. A piece of his soul did manage to latch onto the ring, but it's not enough to be able to revive him in any way. However, I do think we should destroy the ring just in case," said Octavius calmly. "Harry, see if you can burn it."

Harry gingerly took the ring back from Octavius and placed it in the empty fireplace. Forming a fireball in his hand, he threw it at the ring, watching in dismay as the flames died almost instantly, leaving the ring fully intact. "Any other suggestions?" A memory of Voldemort's diary suddenly came to mind. "You know, I used a basilisk fang to destroy the last horcrux I found."

"Basilisk venom," said Octavius thoughtfully. He suddenly flicked his wrist, moving all the furniture up against the walls. "Zenith, turn into your dragon form. Your dragon fire is a lot hotter than Harry's flames. Maybe that will be enough to destroy the ring."

Zenith reluctantly changed into his dragon form, not at all happy about being in such a cramped space. Deciding to just get this done as quickly as possible, he spit two fireballs at the ring. The flames were so hot, the bricks around the fireplace were charred black. However, the ring itself remained unscathed.

"Well, that didn't work," said Octavius as Zenith changed back.

"You could always shadow me to Hogwarts, and we can go into the Chamber of Secrets to get some basilisk venom," Harry suggested. "After all, it's not like we have to worry about Dumbledore at the moment."

"Or we could just tell Snape what he needs to destroy the ring and let him handle it," said Zenith firmly. "Dumbledore is not your only enemy back in England, and I would prefer it if you waited until you were more prepared before returning."

"But Snape can't get into the Chamber," said Harry.

"Snape is a very resourceful man, Harry. I'm sure he'll be able to come up with something," said Zenith.

"Zenith's right, Harry. You don't want to tempt fate by returning to England before you're ready," said Octavius. "As far as we know, Voldemort still thinks you're dead at the moment."

Harry sighed and reluctantly agreed with his mates. It wasn't as though he actually wanted to return to England so soon. He just wanted to make damn sure there was no possible way of Dumbledore ever returning . But Zenith and Octavius were right. Harry would just have to trust Snape to find a way to destroy Dumbledore's horcrux for now.

A few minutes later, Dobby popped back into the room. "Dobby is back, Harry Potter Sir."

Harry handed him the ring and a letter for Snape. "Make sure you get those to Snape, Dobby. It's very important."

Dobby puffed his chest out proudly. "Dobby wills, Harry Potter Sir. Dobby wills not fail."

"Thank you, Dobby, and be careful," said Harry sincerely.

Dobby smiled happily at Harry for his concern and popped out of the room.

Once the house-elf was gone, Octavius grabbed Harry by the arm, pulling him toward the bathroom. "Come on, Harry. You and I are going to take a bath while Zenith goes down to the dining hall to get us something to eat."

"But-" Harry started to protest.

"Go on, Harry," said Zenith. "I'll be back with supper by the time you get out of the bath."

Harry sighed and let his mates take care of him. He knew the situation with the ring had unsettled them. It made the danger Harry would eventually have to face all too real, and they didn't like the idea one bit. There was nothing they could do about it, though, so they were bound and determined to pamper and protect him as much as they could until that time.

With Dumbledore's death, Harry just knew that his peaceful days were coming to an end. He just hoped he was ready when it happened.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Severus scowled irritably as he paced his office restlessly. Dobby should have been back by now, so where was the little pest? He was about to hunt the little bugger down when Dobby popped into his office with Albus' ring and a letter.

"Master Snapey, Harry Potter Sir asked Dobby to give these to you," said Dobby, handing the items over. With that done, Dobby bowed quickly and popped out of the room.

Severus set the ring on his desk and opened the letter.

_Snape, _

_Octavius said the ring was a partial horcrux. Apparently, Dumbledore successfully managed to cast the spell to split his soul, but he didn't have time to fully anchor that soul piece to the ring before he died. Octavius said that the ring couldn't be used to revive Dumbledore or anything, but it would be best to destroy the ring anyway._

_We tried to destroy the ring ourselves, but dragon fire and elemental fire doesn't work. I used a basilisk fang to destroy Voldemort's diary, so you'll need something as strong as basilisk venom to do the job._

_Be careful, Snape. With Dumbledore gone, Voldemort is going to be much bolder with his attacks now._

_Harry_

Severus sighed and crumpled the letter in his hands. So he would need basilisk venom or something equally as strong to destroy the horcrux. The only thing he knew that was as destructive as basilisk venom was Fiendfyre. Unfortunately, he would have to make a few preparations before attempting to destroy the horcrux. Extensive wards would have to be placed to prevent the fire from spreading in the event should it get out of control.

A brisk knock on the door had Severus scowling irritably. He stalked to the door and yanked it open, raising a brow when he saw Minerva. "It's rather late for a social visit, isn't it?"

Minerva frowned sternly at the man. "This isn't a social visit. I just wanted to inform you that Albus' funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at three. You are required to attend."

"No," said Severus bluntly. "As far as I'm concerned, the world is better off without the bastard. I would rather pull out my own fingernails than listen to the weeping and wailing of the insipid fools that believe Albus to be a hero."

"Severus, you will attend the funeral tomorrow," said Minerva firmly. "Despite Albus' actions, we must present a united front tomorrow. Should the wizarding world learn the truth about the Headmaster, all hope would be lost, especially with Harry's noticeable absence."

Severus glared at Minerva and reluctantly growled, "Fine. Is that all?"

Minerva sighed wearily and nodded. "Severus, I wouldn't ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary. What you decide to do after tomorrow is entirely up to you." With that said, she turned and left. She still had to deal with the Ministry and finalise the funeral arrangements.

Severus shut the door with an angry growl. Since he obviously wouldn't have time to destroy the bloody ring tomorrow, he had no choice but to do so now. Snatching the ring off of his desk, Severus stalked out of his quarters. He hurried through the dungeons and into the Entrance Hall, making sure there were no students out along the way. He quickly left the castle and went to the Whomping Willow. Transfiguring a nearby rock into a long, sturdy stick, Severus pressed the knot just inside the tunnel, stilling the trees swaying branches.

Severus went into the tunnel, casting a Lumos spell to light the way. When he finally reached the Shrieking Shack, he patiently erected several containment wards to make sure the Fiendfyre spell would not be able to leave this building no matter what. Setting the ring on the floor in the middle of the room, Severus took a deep breath, raised his wand, and cast the Fiendfyre spell. Instantly, a fiery serpent flew from his wand, writhing and coiling as though it were alive. Severus carefully guided the serpent to the ring, sweat beading on his forehead with the effort to keep the sentient flame under control. The serpent of flames slithered around the ring, melting the ring completely. Unfortunately, with the ring's destruction, Severus relaxed, and his control over the spell wavered. The serpent instantly grew and spread before splitting into two dragons.

Severus cursed and fled the Shrieking Shack, knowing there was no chance of him regaining control over the raging inferno. Fortunately, his wards held firm, and the lethal flames remained trapped within the building. Pausing inside the tunnel, he watched as the spelled fire burned the Shrieking Shack completely to the ground before petering out when there was nothing left to fuel the inferno.

Once the flames were completely gone, Severus dismantled the wards and stepped into the ruins of the Shrieking Shack. Looking around the wreckage, he saw that the tunnel was clearly visible. He quickly cast a Reducto curse at the tunnel walls, making the tunnel collapse. At least now no one could use this tunnel to infiltrate the school.

That was one task done. Now he just had to find and destroy the Dark Lord's horcruxes, as well.

XxX

Harry almost cried in relief when he finished his last exam. He tapped the rune at the top left corner of his desk, and the exam paper disappeared in a puff of smoke. A moment later, the privacy shield dropped from around him, and Harry picked up his bag and walked out of the room. Of course, now he had to wait two days for the results. Fun.

Heading up to his room, Harry decided to take a quick nap before supper. However, when he walked into the room, he heard his communication orb beeping. Grabbing the orb off of his nightstand, Harry activated it, smiling when he saw Hermione's face in the glass.

"Hey, Hermione," said Harry cheerfully, sobering immediately when Hermione scowled back. "What's wrong?"

"Dumbledore's funeral was today," said Hermione, scowling into the communication orb. "I swear, half of wizarding Britain was in attendance."

Hermione's image disappeared, and Ron's face appeared in the orb. "Yeah, mate. The whole time we were there, Hermione sneered at everyone. She almost out-sneered Snape, and that's saying something. Snape was downright scary today."

Hermione snatched the orb back away from Ron. "It was awful, Harry. Everyone's claiming that Dumbledore's some kind of hero, and he was no bloody hero. And then I had to listen to them whinge about you not being here to save them. I understand that they're afraid of Voldemort, but hiding behind a teenager is just pathetic. It's that kind of mentality that made it possible for Voldemort to get this powerful."

"You should be used to it by now, Hermione. It's been that way since I started at Hogwarts," said Harry dryly.

Hermione huffed irritably at that. "That just makes it more pathetic because you were only eleven then."

Ron grabbed the orb away from Hermione again and grinned at Harry. "Good news, mate. School's letting out tomorrow, so we'll be arriving at the cottage about the same time you'll get back from school. Mum's eager to see her new granddaughter, so we'll be taking a portkey to Egypt as soon as we get off the train."

Harry smiled at that. He could picture Mrs. Weasley rushing everyone off the train so she could hold her new granddaughter. "That is good news, Ron."

"Speaking of good news," said Hermione, pushing Ron out of the way and looking into the orb. "Have you chosen yet?"

"Have I chosen what?" asked Harry, staring at his friend blankly.

"Who will become your mate, of course," said Hermione, grinning slyly at Harry.

"Why ask what you already know, Hermione?" asked Harry ruefully. "You probably knew what my choice would be long before I knew myself."

"I knew it!" crowed Hermione triumphantly. "I knew you wouldn't be able to choose between them. I can't say that I blame you, though. They're all just so gorgeous."

"You forgot to mention sexy," said Octavius, startling Harry his sudden presence.

Harry looked at the brunet over his shoulder and asked, "When did you get here?"

Before Octavius could say anything, the orb was taken out of Harry's hand. Harry looked to his left and saw Tristan holding the orb with a wicked smirk on his face.

"We're going to be busy for the rest of the night and probably all day tomorrow, so don't call us unless it's a dire emergency."

Hermione squealed in happiness while Harry blushed fiercely. He tried to snatch the orb away from Tristan only for Zenith to get to it first. The Dracken winked at Harry and said, "It was lovely talking to you again, Hermione, but I'm afraid we'll have to cut this conversation short today. We have a little… bonding time planned for tonight."

Hermione giggled and said, "Alright, you guys have fun." Giggling again, she deactivated the orb.

Zenith set the orb on the nightstand and then smirked at Harry. "You heard the girl, Harry. Let's have some fun."

"What about supper?" asked Harry, glancing at his three mates nervously.

Octavius smirked and reached into the shadows, pulling a large picnic basket into the room. "We'll have plenty to eat later." He set the basket on the dresser and prowled toward his little mate. "Don't you want us, Harry?"

Harry's mouth went dry as he looked up at Octavius, and he could only nod in response. His breath hitched slightly when Zenith pressed up against his back, kissing down the length of his neck. Harry shivered in pleasure and tilted his head to the side, baring more of his neck to the Dracken's kisses. Suddenly, though, Zenith's sharp teeth clamped down on his neck, breaking the skin and making Harry tense up and hiss in pain. A moment later, a sharp pain shot through his right arm and his left wrist, as well. Harry cried out in pain and tried to pull away, but then three separate jolts of magic swept through his body, originating from the three bite marks.

His mates' magic had Harry arching his back and moaning in pleasure. This was more intimate than anything they'd done so far, and he couldn't get enough of it. Unfortunately, the sensation ended all too soon as the magic pulled back to rest just underneath the claiming marks.

Harry panted breathlessly and lifted his now free wrist toward his face. Instead of a noticeable bite mark in his flesh, there was a lightning bolt in the midst of a flurry of snowflakes. He dropped his arm back down to his side and rolled his head to the side to see the mark on his upper arm. The mark there was a shadowy wolf with the wispy image of a raven flying just above it.

"You're ours now, Harry. No one would be stupid enough to touch you with our marks adorning your flesh," whispered Zenith softly, turning Harry's head toward him and pressing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Possessive bastards," said Harry. He suddenly turned in Zenith's arms and claimed the Dracken's lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. When he finally broke the kiss for some much needed air, he smirked at his Dracken mate. "You'll find, though, that I can be pretty damn possessive myself." With that said, Harry darted forward and clamped his teeth in Zenith's neck, pulling a ragged groan from the Dracken's throat. Pulling his teeth from Zenith's skin, Harry licked his bloodstained lips as he stared smugly at the mark forming on the Dracken's neck.

Harry yelped in surprise when his clothes suddenly disappeared, and he found himself pinned to the bed by an equally naked Octavius. Recovering from his surprise quickly, Harry smirked at the Shadow Demon. "Impatient, are we?"

"Tease," growled Octavius before kissing his mischievous mate.

"And you love it," taunted Harry breathlessly when they finally ended the kiss.

Octavius growled and leaned down to kiss Harry again, but Harry moved quickly and bit Octavius on the throat, as well. Octavius' hands clenched around his hips at the sudden bite, and a low, seductive hiss escaped his lips. Harry pulled back, satisfied to see his mark forming on Octavius' tan neck. However, he still had one more mate to mark before he would be fully satisfied. He looked at the redheaded faerie standing a few feet from the bed and reached his arms out to Tristan.

Tristan stalked toward the bed, lightly pushing Octavius out of the way as he climbed on the bed beside Harry. Harry immediately scrambled onto his knees to face the redhead and wrapped his arms around Tristan's neck. He smiled slightly and pressed a quick kiss to the faerie's lips before burying his face in the redhead's neck and biting the smooth flesh.

Tristan hissed at the pain and then promptly gasped in pleasure at the incredible feeling of Harry's magic pulsing around the bite mark. When Harry pulled away to look at his new mark, Tristan pulled him into a deep, needy kiss. Harry moaned softly and returned the kiss with equal fervor, pressing his body as close to Tristan's as possible.

"Well, damn. I guess we know who's going first," said Zenith teasingly.

"Considering the size of your dick, you couldn't possibly have expected to go first," said Octavius incredulously. "You'd rip the poor boy apart with that thing."

"You're just jealous you can't say the same," taunted Zenith.

Muffled laughter interrupted the teasing banter. Zenith and Octavius looked at Harry and Tristan and found Harry holding a hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to muffle his laughter. Tristan just shook his head in exasperation.

"I think I should be a little insulted," said Harry once he stopped laughing. "Here I am naked and ready, and you two are more interested in each other." He turned back to Tristan and smirked at the redhead. "I guess it's just you and me then, Tristan."

"Yeah, I don't think so," muttered Octavius, pulling Harry out of Tristan's arms and pushing him flat onto the bed. "You're stuck with all three of us now."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Harry sincerely.

"Then let the fun begin," said Octavius, leering at Harry. A moment later, he was naked and slithering down Harry's body. "And I know the perfect place to start." With that said, he wrapped his lips around Harry's hard shaft and swallowed it to the root.

Harry moaned in pleasure and arched his back, moaning even louder when Zenith's lips latched around his nipple. Tristan nipped and kissed along his jaw and neck before pulling him into another mind-numbing kiss. A slick finger pressing into his arse had him arching in pleasure. That wicked finger rubbed against his sensitive prostate, almost making him orgasm from that alone.

Octavius wrapped his fingers tightly around the base of Harry's shaft, keeping the brunet from his release. "Sorry, Harry, but you'll have to wait a little longer for that. I want to be inside you when you come."

"Then hurry up, Tavi," growled Harry demandingly.

Octavius smirked and added another finger, pressing hard on Harry's prostate. He grinned when the brunet shouted out a curse, shuddering at the shocks of pleasure jolting through him like lightning. Octavius quickly added another finger, stretching Harry's entrance thoroughly, and quickly pulled his fingers free. Slicking up his cock, he pressed it against Harry's puckered hole.

"I hope you're ready for this because there's no stopping now," muttered Octavius softly. He slowly thrust inside Harry, gritting his teeth at the tight heat surrounding his dick. However, his slow approach was shattered when Harry wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled, forcing him all the way inside the brunet. "Fuck, Harry. Are you alright?"

Harry keened in pleasure at having Octavius inside. The only thing that would make it better was if the demon would bloody well move. "I'm fine, Tavi. I would be even better if you'd move already."

Octavius searched Harry's face for a long moment before a wicked smirk crossed his face. "As you wish." He pulled back slowly and pushed back in even more slowly. "Is this what you wanted, Harry?"

Harry growled and clenched his arse muscles hard around Octavius' shaft. "Maybe I should just ask Zenith or Tristan to fuck me. I'm sure they could do a proper job of it."

Octavius snarled at that, and his control completely shattered. He used his shadows to push Tristan and Zenith away from them and then proceeded to fuck Harry hard and fast, pounding into the brunet's arse and nailing his prostate with almost every thrust. Harry could only grip the sheets in his fists, body writhing and arching as his release crept closer and closer. A sharp tug on his nipples and a harsh bite to his shoulder had him screaming in pleasure as his orgasm hit like a tidal wave.

The clenching muscles of Harry's arse pulled Octavius over the edge, and he released his seed into the brunet's tight depths, barely able to keep himself from collapsing on top of the brunet as his energy was sapped away from the force of his release. He finally managed to pull out of Harry and collapsed onto the bed beside him, panting breathlessly.

"Damn, that was fucking hot as hell," whispered Tristan, staring at the pair with lust darkened eyes as he moved toward them and sat weakly on the bed.

Harry saw the lust filled gaze and silently directed his magic to his aching arse, soothing the pain from the wild pounding he'd just received. Once the pain was gone, he crawled over to Tristan and climbed into the dazed redhead's lap. "Are you just going to stare at me all night, Tristan?"

Tristan snapped out of his lustful fog and wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling the brunet closer. "You're certainly worth admiring. But I want to do a little more than just look." Putting action to words, Tristan hungrily kissed the brunet. He swept his hands down Harry's back, stopping a few centimetres above his tail. "And I think I'll start with this." Tristan delicately traced the sensitive skin surrounding the base of Harry's tail, wringing a shuddery moan from the brunet. Pressing on the skin a little more firmly had Harry writhing frantically in Tristan's arms.

"Please, Tristan," panted Harry breathlessly. "No more teasing."

"I think you're the one doing the teasing," said Tristan, grunting softly as Harry writhed sensuously in his lap. His clothes were gone with a flick of his wrist, and before he could do much else, Harry had a hand wrapped firmly around his cock, holding him steady while he lowered himself slowly onto the rigid shaft. Tristan's breath caught in his throat at finally being inside Harry's tight, hot depths, hands gripping the brunet's hips tightly.

"So good," said Harry in a shuddery moan. He raised himself slightly and dropped back down, shivering as the head of Tristan's shaft grazed his prostate.

Tristan groaned in agreement.

Seeing the look of utter bliss on Tristan's face, Harry raised himself slowly and stopped, clenching his arse muscles tightly, and then dropped down hard. He wanted to see just how long it took before the redhead lost control and showed him just how dominate he could be.

Harry was going to drive him mad. The little minx was teasing him with his agonizingly slow movements, and he was at the end of his control. Another teasing little squeeze just before Harry dropped down broke Tristan. He pulled Harry off his lap and tossed him face down on the bed. Pulling the brunet to his knees, he thrust back inside Harry's silken depths.

Harry almost howled at the first thrust. The way Tristan was positioned over him, every single thrust stimulated his sensitive tail, as well. It only took three thrusts before Harry exploded, stars flashing before his eyes as he reached his release. However, Tristan was far from done. He kept his pace steady, slamming into the brunet until Harry was fully hard once more.

"Please!" gasped Harry, clenching the sheets in his white-knuckled fists. Every strong thrust into his needy arse had him teetering on the edge of release, but the hand Tristan had wrapped around his cock denied him his much wanted orgasm. "Please, Tristan! Let me-" He gave a choked scream when Tristan stroked his shaft with hand and tugged lightly on his tail with the other, releasing in strong spurts onto the sheets below him.

Tristan groaned between clenched teeth at the convulsive clenching around his cock and came hard. He collapsed weakly on Harry's back, pinning the brunet to the bed, and desperately tried to catch his breath. He finally managed to roll off of Harry, blushing slightly when he saw the impressed look on Octavius' face.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Tristan," said Octavius teasingly.

"Neither did I," said Tristan.

Zenith shook his head and transfigured the dresser into another bed. He lifted Harry into his arms, casting a gentle cleansing charm on the brunet to get rid of all the sweat and semen on him, and gently laid him on the new bed. "Are you alright, Harry?"

Harry smiled sweetly at his Dracken mate. "I'm fine, Zenith."

Zenith nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to Harry's lips. "Turn over so I can massage some of the kinks out of your muscles."

Harry eagerly turned over onto his stomach. Zenith had the most wonderful hands in the world. He almost purred in happiness when the Dracken's large hands began kneading the tense muscles of his shoulders, quickly turning him into a happy, boneless heap of Harry. Once Harry's shoulders were completely relaxed, Zenith began massaging the muscles of Harry's back, making the brunet hiss in pain as the tight muscle was firmly worked loose.

Zenith smiled when a soft purr escaped Harry's lips as Zenith's hands moved down the back of his thigh, the brunet's toes almost curling in bliss. When Zenith's hands began to knead the sole of his feet, Harry moaned loudly at the jolt of pleasure that went straight to his cock. Zenith, of course, took that as his cue to massage the brunet's feet until Harry was sure he was going to orgasm just from that.

When Harry finally broke, begging Zenith to just take him already, the Dracken swept his hands back up Harry's thighs and began kneading the brunet's delicious arse cheeks. He kept up the calming massage until the urgent need for release subsided before gently parting Harry's arse cheeks and burying his tongue in that tempting little pucker. Harry gasped in shocked pleasure and thrust back against Zenith's wicked tongue, toes curling from the mind-numbing pleasure the Dracken was giving him. The need for release urgent once more, Harry reached toward his cock to finish himself off, but Zenith's tail wrapped around his wrist, keeping him from moving further.

"Zenith!" cried Harry hoarsely.

Zenith pulled his tongue free from Harry's arse with a lewd slurp. "Yes, Harry?"

"Take me, damn it!" Harry demanded, trying vainly to free his wrist from Zenith's tail.

Zenith laughed softly at the command and nipped one of Harry's arse cheeks in retaliation. "You're certainly eager tonight, Harry." He knelt behind Harry, covering the brunet's body with his much larger body, and nipping the teen's ear lightly.

Harry shivered at the teasing bite and growled, "Are you really complaining about it?"

"And to think that you used to be such a shy virgin," said Zenith, rubbing the head of his shaft against Harry's entrance. "But I like this side of you, Harry. I need a mate who can be both gentle and fierce." He slowly began to press his cock into Harry's arse, pausing when Harry stiffened at the uncomfortable stretch. When he was finally fully inside the brunet, he pressed loving kisses along Harry's neck and shoulders until the vise-like grip around his cock relaxed a bit. "You okay, Harry?"

"Y-Yeah, just give me a minute," said Harry breathlessly. Damn that had stung like hell. Zenith was quite a bit larger than his other two mates.

Zenith looked up and saw Octavius and Tristan watching them intently. Hiding a smirk, he decided to give them a show they'd never forget. Wrapping his arms around Harry's waist, Zenith pulled them both up into a sitting position, Harry's back to his chest and facing Octavius and Tristan. Moving his hands down Harry's thighs, he spread the brunet's legs so that each leg was hooked over his arms, exposing Harry completely to his other two mates.

Harry squeaked at the change in position, but it quickly turned into a loud moan when Zenith lifted him effortlessly until just the head of his cock was buried and slowly lowered him back down. Merlin, the slow glide of Zenith's shaft hit every nerve ending in his arse, lighting his whole body on fire. And the easy strength he displayed by moving Harry's body however he saw fit aroused Harry even more.

Octavius slowly stroked his shaft as he watched Zenith and Harry, mirroring his strokes with the thrusts of Zenith's huge cock in Harry's body. His hand tightened reflexively when he heard Harry shout hoarsely with release, but Zenith didn't change his pace in the slightest, so Octavius resumed his unhurried strokes. All too soon, Harry was fully hard once more and moaning continuously as Zenith expertly played his body, and the sight was more than enough to send Octavius into his second release of the night.

Tristan panted softly, wiping his semen covered hand onto the sheets. Gods, Harry was simply beautiful when in the throes of pleasure. Seeing Harry climax, head thrown back and flushed with ecstasy, would forever be etched in his brain as one of his favourite memories.

Zenith smirked at the pair and moved his tail to wrap around Harry's cock, squeezing the brunet's shaft firmly with every thrust. The new stimulation didn't take long to send Harry over the edge once more, but Zenith still continued to thrust into the brunet at a leisurely pace, patiently waiting until Harry was hard again.

"Zenith, please. I can't take it anymore," sobbed Harry desperately. "It's too much!"

Seeing that Harry truly was at his limit, Zenith kissed the brunet's neck. The Dracken suddenly increased the pace of his thrusts, slamming into the brunet harder and faster. Harry howled as every thrust pounded directly into his prostate, sending huge explosions of unending pleasure throughout his entire body. Another three thrusts, and Harry exploded into release, blacking out from the tidal flood of sensation.

Zenith grunted when Harry's arse clutched desperately at his cock and followed the brunet into his release, spurting into the Kitiara's tight depths. When he finally caught his breath, he slowly pulled out of the insensate brunet and settled him gently on the bed. He climbed off the bed and got a wet flannel from the bathroom, gently cleaning the results of their activities from the brunet.

"Is he alright?" asked Tristan worriedly.

Zenith cast a quick diagnostic spell on Harry just to make sure he hadn't damaged the teen in any way. He sighed in relief when the results showed that Harry was just exhausted. "He's fine. He's just sleeping."

Octavius walked up to the bed and lifted Harry into his arms. "Come on. This room's trashed. We can sleep in my room tonight."

Tristan hurried to the Shadow Demon's room and quickly enlarged the bed so all four of them could fit and turned down the sheets. Octavius laid Harry in the centre of the bed and climbed in beside him, cuddling up against the brunet's right side. Tristan quickly climbed in on Harry's other side while Zenith got on the bed behind Octavius.

"It's done, right?" asked Tristan hesitantly. "He's ours now, and no one can take him away from us, right?"

"Yeah, it's done," Octavius agreed.

"Good," whispered Tristan, burrowing into Harry's side.

"Don't worry, Tristan. Now that we're fully bonded, we can track Harry down no matter where he is should anything happen to him," said Zenith. Should anyone dare try to harm their little mate, there would be nothing left of them to bury.

XxX

Draco headed toward the kitchen with a grumpy frown. He couldn't believe he was stuck in Egypt with an infant, a Weasley, and a bloody werewolf. And to make matters even worse, the rest of the Weasley family would be arriving today and Potter soon after.

As he passed the nursery, though, Draco paused when he heard the baby cry. He slowly opened the door and peeked into the nursery, seeing the baby flailing her hands and feet as she cried out for attention. He hesitantly walked inside and stepped up to the crib, wondering if he should call for Lupin or Weasley, when the baby stopped crying and cooed happily to him.

Draco carefully reached into the crib and lifted the baby into his arms, holding her a bit awkwardly since he'd never held a baby before. He stared down at the happily gurgling infant and snorted in amusement. "You're easily entertained, aren't you?"

"Most babies are."

Draco jumped in surprise and turned around to see Bill leaning against the doorway. He looked at the redhead warily, just waiting for the recriminations to spew forth. But no such words came. Bill simply stepped further into the room and calmly adjusted Draco's arms so that he was holding Gwen more comfortably.

The silence stretched between them, and Draco couldn't bear it anymore. "Why aren't you yelling at me? Any sane person would snatch their child away from the evil Death Eater, not show them how to hold the brat properly."

"From what Severus told me, you didn't exactly have a choice about becoming a Death Eater," said Bill calmly. "Besides, you may be an utter prat, but you're not evil. Plus, you did make an oath not to hurt Gwen, so what's the problem?"

Draco shook his head in disbelief and promptly handed the child to Bill. "You're absolutely nutters." He quickly left the room, muttering about idiot people who trusted others far too easily.

Bill grinned down at Gwen. "The little Slytherin has a soft spot for babies. Who knew?"

Gwen just scrunched her eyes up and began crying. She could only be entertained for so long before being fed, and that time had expired.

"It sounds like someone is hungry," Bill murmured to Gwen. "Then let's go eat."

Bill carried the fussing infant to the kitchen, smiling gratefully when he saw that Remus already had a bottle ready. Seeing no sign of Draco, Bill said, "You'll never guess what I saw this morning."

"What?" asked Remus curiously, smiling as Gwen greedily gulped down her bottle.

"The cold, aloof Slytherin willingly holding the daughter of two Gryffindors," said Bill.

Remus was surprised to hear that. He figured the blond would avoid everyone as much as he possibly could. Perhaps he'd misjudged Draco Malfoy.

"He was shocked when I didn't immediately start yelling at him for holding her," said Bill, his mood sobering slightly.

"I'm not surprised. Despite his upbringing, I doubt there was much positive reinforcement for him as he grew up," said Remus softly. He sighed and pushed away from the table. "Let's hope the family doesn't overwhelm the poor boy this evening."

"Did Mum say exactly when they planned to arrive?" asked Bill curiously.

"Factoring in the time difference, they should arrive around eight this evening," said Remus. "Which means I need to go to the market for groceries to feed the coming hoard." He pressed a quick kiss to Bill's lips and a kiss to Gwen's forehead and sauntered out of the room. He paused as he was passing the library when he saw Draco before stepping into the room. "I'm going to the bazaar for supplies. Would you like to come with me?"

Draco perked up at the offer. Anything to get out of this dreadful house for a while. "Sure, just let me get my money bag from my trunk."

"Meet me in the living room when you're ready then," said Remus, continuing to his room. He grabbed his wallet and headed to the living room, smiling slightly when he saw Draco already there.

They headed to the bazaar, where Remus proceeded to haggle at various stalls like a pro. Draco stared around him in amazement. He'd never seen anything quite like this before. He was more accustomed to the high end boutiques of Paris than the sprawling stalls of the bazaar.

A flash of gold caught Draco's eye, and he walked closer to the source. As he neared the stall, he saw a gold necklace with a coiled golden cobra with sapphire eyes hanging on display. The detail of the cobra was absolutely stunning. His mother would love it.

Draco pulled out his money bag and told the vendor he wanted to buy the necklace. Within minutes, his money bag was significantly lighter, but he considered it well worth the price. Now, all he had to do was place a few protective spells on the necklace before he gave it to his mother.

"All done there?" asked Remus, making Draco jump in surprise. "It's almost lunchtime, so let's head back."

Draco nodded, tucking his new purchase into his pocket before following Lupin back to the cottage. After lunch, he holed himself up in the library, flipping through a book on protective spells to place on the necklace. By the time he found all the spells he needed, it was dark outside. He marked the pages he wanted and shut the book, intending to wash up for supper, when the unwelcome voice of one Ronald Weasley assaulted his ears.

"What he bloody hell are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron shouted, staring at the blond in horror.

"Language, Ron," snapped Molly irritably. "Mr. Malfoy is staying here for the time being for safety reasons, and you will be civil toward him or else." She gave Ron a pointed glare before turning toward Bill with a bright smile. "Now where is my precious little granddaughter?"

XxX

Harry woke with a pained whimper. Every muscle was screaming at him, and his arse was throbbing painfully. Almost immediately, a potion phial was pressed to his lips with a soft command to drink. A long moment later, his painfully throbbing arse eased to a dull ache, and his tense muscles slowly relaxed.

"Are you feeling any better now?" asked Zenith worriedly.

"Yeah, a little. A hot bath would help a lot, though," said Harry, gingerly sitting up.

"You're in luck. The bath is already waiting for you," said Zenith, scooping Harry into his arms and carrying him to the bathroom. Carefully easing the brunet into the water, he knelt beside the tub. "Any regrets?"

Harry shook his head firmly. "Of course not." He looked at the mark he'd left on Zenith's neck and reached out to trace the green eyed fox. "I love you guys, and I'm proud to be bonded to you."

"Good," said Zenith happily. "Now just relax and let me take care of you."

Harry was more than happy to obey that particular order. He sighed blissfully as Zenith washed his hair, massaging his scalp with those sinfully skillful fingers. Once his hair was clean, the Dracken proceeded to lovingly wash every inch of his body. By the time he was done, Harry was almost boneless with relaxation and dozing lightly in the water.

Zenith smiled at the blissed out kit and lifted him from the water, wrapping a soft, fluffy towel around the brunet and drying him off. He then set the brunet on his feet and pulled him back to the bedroom. "Get dressed, Harry. Our scores should be posted on the bulletin board by now, and then we're free to leave."

Harry almost cheered at the news. As much as he loved his new school, he couldn't wait to see Remus and the others again. He got dressed in record time and dragged Zenith out of the room. He saw Tristan in front of the Arithmancy classroom and hurried up to the redhead.

"Are they posted yet, Tristan?" Harry asked eagerly.

Tristan's face brightened when he saw Harry. "Harry, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain? Are you-" The rest of his questions were cut off by Harry's hand over his mouth.

"I'm perfectly fine, Tristan," Harry quickly assured his redheaded mate. "So how well did we do for this class?"

"Oh, we both got an A," said Tristan happily.

"Just an Acceptable," muttered Harry with a sigh of disappointment. "I was hoping I had done a little better than that."

"No, Harry, that's not what it means," Zenith quickly assured the brunet. "Arcane Academy doesn't use the same grading terms Hogwarts does. An A here means that you scored over 90% on your overall grade."

"Oh," said Harry, brightening happily at the news. "I guess all your hard work paid off then, Zenith. Now I just need to find out the rest of my scores."

"You got an A in Magi Arts and Elemental Magic, and a B in Ancient Runes," said Tristan promptly.

"You got an A in Blood Rites, as well. I saw the posted scores when I went to talk to the professor about my continued apprenticeship next year," added Zenith.

"Then that just leaves Potions, Warding, and Healing," said Harry. "Have you seen all your scores, Tristan?"

"Yeah, I had an A in all my classes," said Tristan proudly.

"That's great, Tristan," said Harry happily, heading down the corridor to the potions classroom. He saw the posted scores and quickly found his name. "Well, I got a B in Potions, and that's a lot better than I usually do in this subject."

"I'm surprised you did that well with Grey as your partner," muttered Tristan.

"I can't complain too much. He certainly did make the class interesting," said Harry ruefully, heading to the third floor to check his Healing and Warding grades. He was happy to find that he'd gotten an A in both of those classes, as well. Overall, he was very satisfied with his final scores.

"Where did Octavius run off too?" asked Harry curiously. He hadn't seen the Shadow Demon all morning.

"He's with Claudius," said Zenith. "He said he would meet us in the dining hall for supper and then shadow us to the cottage."

"Supper?" asked Harry, staring at Zenith in shock. "It's that late?"

"You needed time to recover, so we let you sleep as long as needed," said Zenith honestly.

As they headed toward the dining hall for supper, Harry saw Vera leaving the library. "Hey, Vera, how are you today?"

"Hello, Harry, I'm doing…" she said, her sentence trailing off when she got a good look at him. She suddenly smiled brightly and hugged the startled brunet. "You finally bonded with your three mates. I'm so happy for you."

Harry blushed lightly and said, "Thanks, Vera."

Vera smiled again before leveling a fierce glare on Tristan and Zenith. "You three had better take good care of my friend, or what I did to Silas will pale in comparison to what I do to you."

Tristan scowled indignantly at the girl. "Like we would ever hurt, Harry. He's our most precious treasure."

"Keep it that way," said Vera firmly.

Harry just smiled and asked, "Would you care to join us for supper, Vera?"

Vera shook her head regretfully. "I would love to, but I have to get to my portkey in fifteen minutes. Have a great summer, Harry, and I'll see you in the fall. Bye."

"Bye, Vera," said Harry, watching the girl scamper off toward the Entrance doors.

They continued toward the dining hall, and Harry blinked in shock at he packed room. Zenith snickered at his expression and said, "The last meal before summer holidays is always this packed. It's the last chance everyone has to meet up with their friends before the fall term."

A shadow suddenly wrapped around Harry's wrist. "I found Octavius," he said dryly as he allowed the shadow to pull him across the room. He saw the Shadow Demon siting casually at an empty table, directing his shadows with a smug grin.

Octavius tugged the brunet closer and promptly pulled Harry into his lap. "Good afternoon, lovely. How do you feel today?"

"I'm fine, Octavius," said Harry firmly. "And how are you today? Did you score well in all your classes?"

"I am absolutely perfect," said Octavius, nuzzling against Harry's neck. "And I got all A's, of course. Did you expect otherwise?"

"Smug bastard," said Harry half-heartedly.

"Are you ready to go home, or do you want to eat first?" mumbled Octavius against Harry's throat.

Harry laughed softly as the vibrations of Octavius' lips tickled him. "Honestly, I'd rather go on home. Remus' cooking is much better than anything we can eat here."

"Then let's go." The shadows quickly wrapped around all four of them, and they reappeared in their suite. Octavius gently nudged Harry toward his room. "Get packed, Harry."

Harry flashed the other brunet a grin and hurried into his room, packing his trunk quickly. Once he was done, he searched his room carefully to make sure he hadn't left anything behind and then shrank his trunk and placed it into his pocket. Walking out into the common room, he lifted Pyralis into his palms.

"Are you ready to meet the rest of my family, Pyralis?" asked Harry, stroking the phoenix's bright red feathers.

Pyralis chirped and hopped up Harry's arm to settle on the brunet's shoulder, nuzzling Harry's cheek affectionately with his beak.

Just then, Harry's three mates walked out of their respective rooms, ready to go. Harry looked at Octavius and said, "We need to stop in the forest before we leave so I can pick up Shadow and Eclipse. That is, if they're still willing to come with me."

"Why wouldn't they be?" asked Tristan curiously. "They're your familiars, aren't they?"

"Yes, but I think they've found themselves a mate. They've been spending a lot more time in the forest than usual lately. I guess we'll see, though," said Harry. "Are we ready?"

"Yep," said Octavius, pulling Harry into his arms with a smug smirk. In an instant, the shadows surrounded them completely, transporting them into the forest.

Harry sniffed the air lightly and started walking deeper into the forest, following his kits' scents. As he neared the source of the scent, he heard a warning growl from some nearby bushes. Harry saw Shadow's muzzle peeking out from underneath one of the bushes and slowly knelt down on the ground.

"Come on, Shadow. You know there's no reason to growl at me. I'm not going to hurt you," said Harry patiently.

Shadow immediately crawled out from under the bush at the sound of his master's voice, yipping happily. A moment later, Eclipse crawled out from under the bush, as well, rubbing against Harry's thighs like a happy cat.

"Are you going to show me what you're guarding?" asked Harry, petting the two kits lovingly.

Eclipse crawled partially under the bush and yipped softly. A few minutes later, a gorgeous white fox crawled out from under the bush with three tiny kits following after her.

"Oh, I knew you had found a mate," said Harry happily. "They're gorgeous." One of the tiny kits crept closer to Harry, sniffing the air curiously. It was a cute little thing, solid white with a black stripe down its belly. When the kit reached Harry, it mewled pitifully, nudging its nose against the brunet's leg. Harry looked at the kit's mother as he slowly reached out to pet the little kit. However, as soon as Harry touched the kit, the kit turned its head and bit the brunet, lapping the droplet of blood that beaded on the skin. He drew his hand back in surprise, causing the kit to whinge pitifully once more.

Zenith chuckled softly. "It seems the little kit wants to be your familiar, Harry."

"But, I-" Harry stopped when the white vixen stepped forward and nudged the kit toward Harry. He sighed softly and lifted the kit into his arms. "Okay, I'll take care of your kit, but you better take care of Shadow and Eclipse for me, as well."

The vixen yipped softly before herding the other two kits back under the bush.

Harry petted Shadow and Eclipse one last time and said, "I'll miss you two, but I'm happy you've found a mate. Take care."

With a sad yip, Shadow and Eclipse joined their mate under the bush.

Harry looked down at the kit in his arms. "I guess I need to come up with a name for you, you cheeky little bugger." He checked the gender, finding out he had a vixen on his hands this time. "I think I'll name you Yuki."

"Doesn't that mean 'snow' in Japanese?" asked Tristan.

"Yep," said Harry with a firm nod. "It will contrast nicely with Pyralis' name, since his name means 'of fire.'"

"Are we ready now?" asked Octavius impatiently.

"We're ready," said Harry. Pyralis chirped in agreement. Yuki looked up at the phoenix curiously and yipped softly. However, Pyralis turned his beak up into the air and refused to even look at the kit. "Don't be rude, Pyralis. Yuki's part of the family now." Pyralis grudgingly looked at the kit and chirped shortly. That was enough to satisfy Yuki, though, and she tucked her head in the crook of Harry's arm and went to sleep.

Octavius shook his head at the interaction and pulled the shadows around all of them, transporting them to the cottage's kitchen. However, they were met with startled shouts when they appeared in the room followed by joyful cries when the inhabitants realised exactly who had arrived.

"Harry, you're here!" cried Hermione. She would have gotten up to hug the brunet, but she saw that he was cradling something in her arms, though she couldn't see what exactly.

"Wait! That's Potter?" asked Draco, staring at his rival incredulously.

"Gorgeous, isn't he? And the three with him are his suitors, Tristan, Octavius, and Zenith," said Ginny in a soft whisper, pointing to each suitor as she named them.

"Mates, actually," said Harry, overhearing the conversation.

"Mates!" cried Remus, glaring at the three teens who'd dared laid hands on his cub.

"Calm down, Remus. You knew it would happen sooner or later," said Bill soothingly.

"Yes, later. Much later," stressed Remus. "Harry still has a year of school left. What if they... I'm not ready to be a grandfather yet."

"Honestly, Remus, there are such things called contraceptive potions to prevent just that from happening. You better believe I took one of those before completing the courtship bond. I refuse to bring a child into the world while Voldemort is still out there just waiting for a chance to kill me," said Harry sensibly.

"Harry, is that a phoenix?" asked Hermione abruptly, catching sight of the tiny bird on Harry's shoulder. "And what are you holding?"

Harry held the kit in his arms up. "This is Eclipse's daughter, Yuki." He tilted his head slightly toward the phoenix. "And this is Pyralis, Fawkes' offspring. He brought his only egg to me just before he died." He placed Yuki on the floor to let her explore the cottage while Pyralis hopped off of Harry's shoulder to perch on the back of Bill's chair.

Hermione gasped in shock. "Fawkes is dead? Are you sure? I didn't think phoenixes could die."

"Nothing in this world is truly immortal, Hermione," said Bill softly. "And phoenixes are no exception." He looked at Harry. "Tell me what happened."

"Fawkes burst into flames, and then the ashes scattered into the air," said Harry sadly, remembering that sad day all too well. "But at least I have this little guy to remember him by."

"How terrible," said Hermione. "Dumbledore's betrayal was probably more than he could take."

"What I want to know is what the hell happened to Potter," Draco demanded, pointing at Harry accusingly.

"A magical creature inheritance, of course," said Harry. "I'm a Kitiara."

"No fucking way," said Draco.

"Language, young man," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.

"Unbelievable. Only Potter would inherit a creature inheritance that hasn't been seen in centuries," said Draco bitterly. "You just get everything, don't you?"

"Shut up, Malfoy. You're just jealous," shouted Ron angrily.

"Ron, calm down," hissed Hermione.

"I am not jealous of Potter, Weasel," snapped Draco.

"I'm jealous of Harry," said Ginny cheerfully. "Those three mates of his put all men to shame."

A loud cry suddenly brought silence to the kitchen, and a scowling Remus stood from the table. "Now look what you've done. You woke up, Gwen."

"I'll get her, Remus," offered Harry, already heading for the door. He hurried to the nursery, following the sound of Gwen's cries, and saw the baby flailing her little fists angrily. Harry picked Gwen up, and the child instantly quietened, staring at Harry in fascination. "Look at you. You've gotten so big."

Gwen squealed happily.

Harry smiled, leaning down to nuzzle the infant's cheek with his nose. Gwen giggled and grabbed Harry's hand in a little fist. Harry gently untangled his hair from her clutching fingers. "Are you ready to go see your daddies, Gwen? I bet Remus already has a bottle ready for you."

Gwen just cooed and settled comfortably in Harry's arms.

Harry carried Gwen back to the kitchen, pausing when the room instantly got silent at his presence. "Did I miss something?"

"You look surprisingly natural with a baby in your arms," said Ginny bluntly.

"Gwen certainly seems content," added Bill.

"I'll take her, dear. She's probably hungry by now," said Mrs. Weasley, reaching for Gwen. However, as soon as she tried to take the baby from Harry's arms, Gwen started wailing. Harry quickly pulled the baby closer to his body with an apologetic smile, and Gwen's cries stopped immediately.

"Looks like the tyke wants to stay right where she is," said Octavius. He walked up to Harry and used a small shadow to tickle the infant gently, getting a giggle for his efforts. "It's hard to believe Grey sired this little beauty, though."

"It is not. Grey is very handsome, and Gwen takes after him quite a bit," said Harry, scowling at the other brunet. "I honestly don't know why you and Tristan pick at him so much."

"I just like to see him get all riled up," said Octavius unapologetically.

"I don't like the way he hangs all over you all the time," muttered Tristan irritably. "The damn tiger needs to learn to keep his hands to himself."

Gwen began to cry fitfully, and Harry crooked a finger at the bottle on the table, summoning it to him. The baby immediately latched onto the nipple as soon as it touched her lips, sucking down the milk greedily.

"Oh, please. Grey isn't even really interested in me that way," said Harry in exasperation.

"He's definitely interested. He just knows that he has no chance with us around," said Octavius arrogantly.

"Cocky bastard," muttered Harry, levitating the empty bottle back to the table and gently burping Gwen. He then noticed the looks everyone was giving him. "What?"

"Did you babysit a lot during the summers, Harry?" asked Hermione curiously.

Harry stared at his friend incredulously. "You do remember what my relatives are like, don't you? They told the whole neighbourhood I was a delinquent who attended St. Brutus' Centre for Criminal Boys or whatever it's called. No one would trust me to babysit their children."

"Those bastards better hope I never find them," growled Tristan softly.

"Way ahead of you there," said Remus curtly. "They're lucky I left them alive when I left that Merlin forsaken place."

"Okay, different subject," said Harry quickly. "Remus, you'll be happy to know that I did well in all of my classes this year, including Potions."

"That's great, Harry," said Remus, smiling when Gwen echoed him with a happy squeal.

"Okay, it's my turn to hold her. You've had her long enough, Harry," said Ginny firmly, standing up and holding her arms out demandingly.

Harry obligingly handed the baby to Ginny, smirking at the girl when Gwen whimpered pitifully and reached her arms out to Harry. Ginny stuck her tongue out at Harry and cuddled Gwen close, tickling her under the chin. However, she didn't get so much as a smile from the infant. Gwen's bottom lip trembled, and then she started to scream.

Ginny huffed and handed Gwen back to Harry, scowling when the baby instantly stopped crying. "That's just not fair. She was just fine with letting me hold her until Harry got here."

"Can I try?" asked Zenith softly.

Harry smiled and placed Gwen in Zenith's arms. Gwen stared at Zenith in utter fascination, snuggling comfortably in the Dracken's arms. "It seems she likes you, too, Zenith."

"So not fair," muttered Ginny.

"Hey, she sees red hair every day. We're new and fascinating to her," said Harry reasonably. "Give it time. Soon enough we'll be old news."

Tristan tapped Zenith on the shoulder and held out his hands. Zenith handed Gwen over to the redhead, and Gwen cooed sweetly at him. Ginny scowled and pointed accusingly at Tristan.

"He's a redhead. Why isn't she screaming at him?"

"Maybe she just doesn't like you, Ginny," said Ron bluntly.

Octavius pulled Gwen into his arms, grinning when the baby squealed happily. "Just ignore the little harpy, sweetheart. You know who you like, and that's all that matters."

"Harpy!" screeched Ginny.

Harry sighed. "Enough, Tavi. Give Gwen to Remus, so we can get unpacked." He turned to his guardian. "Will supper be ready soon? We left before eating, and I'm starving."

Remus smiled at Harry as he took Gwen back from Octavius. "Supper should be ready in about thirty minutes. Go unpack and wash up." Harry nodded and walked out of the kitchen. However, before Octavius, Tristan, and Zenith could follow, Remus stopped them. "As for you three, if you ever hurt Harry in any way, I'll kill you in the slowest, most painful way imaginable."

"Of course, we would expect nothing less," said Zenith somberly.

"In fact, we would welcome it should that ever come to pass," said Tristan truthfully.

"No worries, Remus," said Octavius calmly. "Harry's no pushover. He'll keep us on the straight and narrow."

Remus smirked at the Shadow Demon. "You should know best of all." He moved out of the way, allowing them to pass. "Oh, and make sure to utilize Silence Charms. I may have to put up with the fact that Harry is mated to you three, but I don't have to hear it."

"Sure thing, Remus," said Octavius cheerfully. "I'll get on that right away. We've got thirty minutes to kill before supper, after all."

Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead. Looking down at his daughter, he said, "You'll wait until you're thirty to date, right?"

"Keep wishing," said Bill ruefully. "I have a feeling she's going to be more of a handful than Harry is."

"If that's the case then I'm doomed," said Remus dryly.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Sorry about the slow updates lately. I've had three deaths in the family in the last six months.

Chapter 24

Zenith carefully moved Harry off of his chest and climbed out of bed with a wide yawn. Two weeks into summer vacation, and he was already looking forward to returning. At least there they would have a modicum of privacy. His sex life was practically non-existent at the moment because apparently Locking and Silencing charms didn't mean anything to people in this household. Just yesterday, Hermione had barged into their room, wanting Harry to answer a few questions about one of his text books. Of course, she'd promptly blushed and stammered an apology when she saw her half-naked friend straddling Tristan's lap and snogging him heatedly, but it was too late then. Ron took the open door as a signal and waltzed right on in.

A knock on the door made Zenith growl softly. They were starting early today. He stalked to the door, yanking it open and scowling down at a startled Mrs. Weasley. "May I help you with something?"

"I was just going to wake Harry up for breakfast. The poor boy is still far too skinny," said Mrs. Weasley warmly.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Harry didn't sleep too well last night," said Zenith, lying to the woman with a straight face. "I'll make sure he eats something as soon as he wakes, though."

Molly sighed in sympathy. "Poor Harry. He had nightmares all night, didn't he? Ron told me they got so bad sometimes Harry would wake the whole dorm with his screams." She then smiled and patted Zenith on the arm. "Thank you for taking such good care of Harry. I'll be sure to save you all some breakfast for later."

In the face of such obvious care and concern, Zenith felt a little guilty for lying to the woman. However, when he remembered the number of times she had interrupted them at inappropriate times over the last two weeks, he quickly pushed the guilt aside. He smiled instead and said, "Thank you. We would appreciate that."

Molly turned to leave, and Zenith quickly closed and locked the door, hoping no one else would bother them anytime soon. Unfortunately, his hopes were cruelly dashed when the summon stone on his wristband began to glow. He sighed and tapped the stone, calling forth his familiar. Talbot appeared in a flash of light, and Zenith wanted to curse when he saw the pale green stone in Talbot's claws.

"Traitor!" Zenith hissed at his familiar. Talbot just dropped the stone and flew over to the bed, squeezing into the space between Tristan and Harry.

A moment later, a section of the bedroom wall disappeared, revealing a picturesque view of a sandy white beach. The idyllic scene was promptly ruined when a tall, slender woman with long blonde hair and dark green wings stepped into the room with a dark glare on her face. Zenith silently groaned, already dreading this confrontation.

"Bianca, why have you come here?" Zenith asked irritably.

"I'm here to take you home, of course," said Bianca firmly. "Your grandfather has decided that we will be mated during the summer festival in three days."

"What?"

Bianca's eyes darted to the three figures now sitting up in the bed. The black-eyed brunet and violet-eyed redhead were glaring darkly at her, but the fox-eared brunet was staring at Zenith with hurt-filled green eyes. A sinking feeling of dread swept through her at the look, and she looked swiftly at Zenith, her heart shattering when she saw her promised mate hurrying across the room to reassure the green-eyed brunet.

"Zenith, what is going on?" Bianca demanded.

"I'm afraid you wasted a trip here, girly," drawled Octavius coldly. "Zenith is already mated, and very happily so. He even has the mark to prove it."

Bianca's eyes swept across Zenith's bare skin in search of the incriminating mark and had to bite back a sob when she finally saw it- a diamond composed of four lightning bolts made up of the four elements. "Why, Zenith? We were supposed to be mated. How could you do this to me?"

"That was something you and grandfather decided, Bianca," said Zenith bluntly. "I told him from the time he first suggested it that I had absolutely no intention of ever mating with you, but apparently he didn't listen. I'm sorry you were hurt because of this, but the fact remains that I am already happily mated to Harry."

"What about dracklings, though? Neither male Drackens nor male Kitsune can carry young. Are you really willing to allow your line to die out completely for this boy?" asked Bianca desperately.

"No need to worry about that," said Octavius gleefully. "Harry's not a Kitsune. He's a Kitiara, and Kitiara are perfectly capable of conceiving and carrying a child."

"Why don't you just go home already?" asked Tristan irritably. "There's no point in further protests. Zenith is already mated, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Grandpa knew I didn't want to mate with you, so he never should have encouraged the idea of a union between us," said Zenith softly.

Bianca's wings drooped sadly, and she vainly tried to blink away her tears, but they spilled over anyway. She was two years older than Zenith, but she'd been in love with him since he was fifteen. When Skyler Winters had proposed the idea of a union between her and Zenith, she'd jumped at the chance. She could see now that she'd just been fooling herself into thinking Zenith felt the same way about her. Seeing the way he looked at the little Kitiara, she clearly saw just how much he loved his little mate.

Bianca turned away from the heart-rending sight, planning to open a dragon's gate home, when a soft voice stopped her.

"Would you like to eat breakfast and meet the rest of my family before you go?"

"Are you serious, Harry?" asked Tristan incredulously. "The woman wants Zenith as her mate, and you're inviting her for breakfast. Unbelievable!"

Bianca scowled at Harry. "Why would I want to do that? You stole my mate."

Harry snorted at that. "I can't steal something you never actually had. Zenith courted me, and I accepted. It's as simple as that."

"Then what are they? Your paramours on the side?" asked Bianca, sneering at Tristan and Octavius.

"Like Zenith, Tristan and Octavius also courted me. I am mated to all three of them," said Harry calmly.

"So Zenith wasn't enough for you, huh? If Zenith was my mate, I wouldn't need anyone else," said Bianca fiercely.

"Enough, Bianca," said Zenith wearily. "Eat with us or don't, but the subject of my mating is closed."

"I'm sure Charlie would love to meet you. That prat is simply fascinated with anything dragon," said Octavius. "He'd be more than happy to ride you all day long."

At Bianca's outraged look, Harry quickly added, "He meant your dragon form. Charlie's a dragon handler at the Romanian reserve, and he's always wanted to ride a dragon. What kind of dragon are you anyway?"

"Common Welsh," said Bianca defensively. That was a sensitive subject with her. She was the only Common Welsh in the clan now, and since there were no Peruvian Viper Tooth Drackens in the clan, that made her the smallest dragon in the clan. That, of course, lead the idiot males in the clan to treat her like some weak, delicate flower, and she couldn't stand that.

Before they could say anything else, Hermione barged into the room. "Harry, it's time for breakfast." Halfway into the room, she finally caught sight of Bianca and stopped short. "Who are you?"

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Zenith suddenly snapped. "Locked doors are usually locked for a reason. Common courtesy dictates that a person should at least knock if the door is closed, much less locked. You would think after the last time you barged in here, you would remember to do that."

Hermione scowled at the Dracken even as a rosy blush stained her cheeks. "The door wasn't locked so don't yell at me. And for your information, the door wasn't locked last time, either. How was I supposed to know you were… indisposed?"

"I put a Locking charm on the door after Mrs. Weasley left this morning," said Zenith irritably. Stalking to the door, he looked at it intently, checking to see if the door itself had been tampered with. He finally found a small rune etched onto the doorknob and growled angrily. It was a Key Rune. He heard a muffled, "Damn, he found it." Zenith growled in fury. Those bloody twins were going to die.

The twins squeaked at the sound and ran for their lives. Zenith started to chase after them, but Octavius grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Kill them later, Zenith. The longer you wait, the more paranoid they'll get," said Octavius with an evil smirk.

"Or you can just tell their mother what they did, and let her deal with them. She certainly seems to have them well in hand for the most part," said Tristan, leaning casually against the doorframe.

"You could always do both. Tell Mrs. Weasley what they did but ask her not to say anything right away. Then when they slip, they'll be hit from both sides, so to speak," said Hermione vindictively. "In fact, I think I'll save you the effort and tell her myself. I owe those two some payback anyway." With a malicious smirk on her face, Hermione left to inform Mrs. Weasley of the twins' mischief deeds.

"I told them they would be sorry for doing that to her," muttered Harry, getting out of bed only to stumble forward a few steps when Talbot jumped on his back. "Oof! Talbot, get off. You're too heavy for a piggyback ride."

Bianca scowled at the pair. That damn pygmy dragon had never shown her that much affection. What made this boy so special?

Zenith took one look at Harry and burst out laughing. Talbot was clinging to Harry's back like a monkey. His front claws were draped over the brunet's shoulder, his back claws draped over Harry's thighs, and his tail wrapped around the brunet's right leg. The funniest thing, though, was seeing the little dragon's head resting between Harry's furry ears.

Seeing he would get no help from his three mates, Harry huffed in irritation. But then he remembered the other person in the room. Harry turned wide, pleading green eyes in Bianca's direction, silently asking her for help.

Bianca actually shrank away from that look. 'Holy hell,' she silently thought. 'It's no wonder all three of them are wrapped around his little finger. That look would bring anyone to their knees.' She glanced back at the kit and groaned in defeat. Now the brat's ears were drooping sadly, and his bottom lip was trembling slightly.

"Oh, alright," snapped Bianca, stomping over to the brunet. Talbot growled at her when she approached, but she just bopped him on the snout. "Get off, Talbot. You're too big for him to carry."

Talbot whinged pitifully and reluctantly dropped to the floor, curling into a ball at Harry's feet miserably.

Harry smiled at Bianca gratefully. "Thanks, Bianca." He knelt down beside Talbot and patted him on the head. "I missed you, Talbot, but no more piggyback rides, okay?"

Talbot just gave a growling purr and basked under Harry's attention.

Harry looked up at Bianca curiously. "Do you have a dragon familiar like Talbot?"

"I don't have a dragon familiar," said Bianca testily. She lifted her arm and tapped her summon stone. "Rise, Sorcha!" A small dragon-like creature appeared in a flash of light. The creature landed on Bianca's arm and trilled softly.

Harry stared at the creature for a long moment before gasping in realisation. "Amazing! You have a Faerie Wyvern!"

Bianca looked at Harry in surprise. "You've heard of them?"

"Read about them," corrected Harry. "I was reading up on dragons and dragon-related creatures because of Zenith, and they were mentioned. They're unique because they have feathered wings and breathe ice rather than fire." He walked closer to Bianca and smiled at the wyvern. "It's very nice to meet you, Sorcha."

Sorcha just looked away, ignoring Harry. Bianca felt a little smug at the snub, but Harry didn't seem at all upset. He simply grinned and walked away, moving to stand beside Tristan.

"Can we please go to breakfast now? If we wait much longer, there won't be anything left," said Harry.

Zenith sighed and nodded. There wasn't much point in staying here anyway. He glanced back at Bianca and asked, "Are you coming? You can at least eat breakfast before going back home."

Bianca sighed in defeat and followed them to the kitchen.

XxX

Severus felt like banging his head against a wall from sheer frustration. The conversation he'd had with Dumbledore two weeks ago was coming back to bite him in the arse.

_**Flashback**_

_Minerva walked into the Headmaster's office with a determined frown. She had a bone to pick with a certain twinkly-eyed wizard. Shutting the door behind her, she marched up to Albus' portrait and scowled at the man. "Wake up, old man. You have quite a bit of explaining to do."_

_Albus woke with a start, smiling benignly when he saw his former deputy. "Good afternoon, Minerva. It's lovely to see you again. What can I do for you today?"_

_"You can tell me what the bloody hell you were thinking this past year," snapped Minerva angrily, tapping her foot impatiently. "Actually, let's start with fifteen years ago when you left Harry Potter on the doorstep of those disgusting muggles. You knew how they would treat him, and you left him there anyway. And don't give me that crap about the blood wards making it the safest place for him to be, either. It's hardly safe for him when his own relatives try to kill him."_

_Albus sighed wearily. "It was necessary, Minerva. When Harry defeated Voldemort all those years ago, it was with a price. A piece of Voldemort's soul latched onto Harry, and that is what created that scar on the boy's forehead. Unfortunately, the only way to destroy that soul piece is for Harry to die at Voldemort's hand. Wouldn't it have been more cruel to give him a happy childhood only to tear it away from him in the end?"_

_"So you left that poor boy there, knowing he would be abused, so that he would be more malleable to your manipulations," said Minerva bitterly. "I'm glad Remus managed to save Harry from the fate you planned for him. At least, he had one adult he could truly depend on."_

_"Minerva, the boy has to die before Voldemort can truly be destroyed. As long as that soul shard rests within Harry, Voldemort is practically immortal. You must look at the greater good here," said Albus sternly._

_"Surely there is another way," Minerva protested. "Sending the poor boy to his death can't be the only solution."_

_Albus started to answer when the office door opened once more, and Severus stepped into the room. He smiled brightly at the dark-haired man. "Severus, did you find it? My ring?"_

_"Yes, I found it, but I'm afraid it was destroyed by Fiendfyre," said Severus smoothly._

_One look at Severus' face told Albus the truth. "You traitor. After all I've done for you over the years, you show your gratitude by betraying me."_

_"After all you did for me? From the time I started school here, you stood back and watched as your precious Gryffindors bullied and mocked me, doing nothing to stop them. Hell, even when Black almost killed me, the only thing you did was assign two weeks of detention and guilt me into keeping silent about the affair," sneered Severus._

_"I thought you understood my reasons for doing that," Albus protested weakly._

_"Oh, I understood, Albus. James Potter was your precious Golden Boy, and I was the expendable, poor, half-blood Slytherin," said Severus bitterly. _

_"Severus, that's not-"_

_"Don't bother, Albus. That's exactly what it was, and you know it. The only reason you gave me this job and kept me out of Azkaban was because you needed me in position to spy on the Dark Lord when he returned," said Severus bluntly._

_"What's so special about that ring, Severus?" asked Minerva with a feeling of foreboding._

_Albus scowled at Severus and shook his head. Severus, of course, had no intentions of letting the old codger off the hook. "Our dearest Headmaster decided to try his hand at immortality by creating his own horcrux."_

_"You did what?" screeched Minerva, glaring at Albus' portrait. When Albus opened his mouth to answer, Minerva pointed an accusing finger at the portrait. "And don't you dare say it was necessary."_

_"Voldemort still has four horcruxes that need to be destroyed, including the one inside Harry," Albus started._

_"Actually, Harry is not a horcrux," said Severus suddenly, smirking smugly at the old man. "He hasn't been since his magical inheritance."_

_"That's impossible. There is no magical inheritance strong enough to destroy a horcrux," said Albus emphatically._

_Severus raised an eyebrow and said, "Kitiara."_

_Albus' jaw dropped in shock. "Harry's a Kitiara? But that's-"_

_"Impossible? This is Potter we're talking about. That brat has proved the impossible very possible on numerous occasions," scoffed Severus._

_"Then there's only Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's cup, and Nagini left to destroy, and then Harry can-"_

_"Stay right where he is," Severus interjected coldly. "There is no longer any need for Potter to be involved in this war. The horcrux within him has been destroyed. I will find the Dark Lord's remaining horcruxes and destroy them myself."_

"_But, Severus-"_

"_No, Albus. I'm going to do what I've been trying to do since Lily died- protect Harry," said Severus firmly._

_"I agree with Severus," said Minerva. "It's time we stood up for ourselves and stopped depending on a teenager to save us."_

_"We will end this war our own way, Albus," said Severus firmly._

_**End Flashback**_

He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was going to need some help in finding the Dark Lord's remaining horcruxes. Perhaps that Shadow Demon that was courting Potter would be able to help track them down. He did say that dark magic left a shadow behind, didn't he?

Severus sighed in defeat. It looked like he was going to be making another trip to Egypt today. An hour later, he was knocking on Bill's front door. However, when Harry opened the door with a harried look on his face and the sounds of shouting from inside, Severus began to regret his decision to come back here.

"Is this a bad time?" asked Severus caustically.

"Is it ever a good time with this lot?" Harry returned with a rueful smile. "Ignore the noise, Severus, and come inside. They'll yell themselves out eventually."

"What is everyone shouting about?" asked Severus curiously.

"A woman from Zenith's clan arrived this morning intending to claim him as her mate," said Harry bluntly.

"So Zenith wants to end his courtship with you, and now the family is upset," Severus concluded.

Harry smirked at his former professor. "Please, Severus. Zenith is mine, and he's not going anywhere."

"I see. You chose the Dracken as your mate," sighed Severus softly. "Well, this was a wasted trip. I was hoping the Shadow demon would be in residence."

"Octavius is here, too. What did you need him for?" asked Harry curiously.

Before Severus could answer they heard a shouted, "Quit making me into the bad guy! If Zenith had bothered to inform his family about his mating, I never would have come here. We weren't even aware that he was courting anyone."

"I sent a letter to grandpa over the Christmas holidays telling him about my courtship," said Zenith defensively.

"We never received a letter from you. In fact, we didn't see Talbot for three weeks after you summoned him," said Bianca tersely.

"I didn't send Talbot with the letter. I borrowed Bill's owl to send the letter because I was planning to give Harry a summoning stone for Christmas, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise," said Zenith. "Even so, it should have only taken a few days for the letter to reach home." He turned to Bill. "Did your owl come back injured?"

"No," said Bill slowly. "To be honest, I thought you had changed your mind about sending the letter because I saw Xerxes later that evening."

"Oh no," gasped Ginny with a guilty look on her face. "I-I'll be right back." She quickly ran out of the room, almost knocking Harry and Severus over as they walked into the kitchen.

"Look who came to visit," said Harry, pulling Severus into the room.

"Severus, thank Merlin you're here. This place is a bloody madhouse," said Draco, rushing to the professor's side with a sigh of relief. "Does this mean I can go home now?"

"I'm afraid not, Draco. I'm actually here to speak to Octavius," said Severus calmly. He looked at the Shadow demon and said, "Can I have a word with you in private?"

"Sure," said Octavius with a shrug. He followed Severus out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Zenith asked Harry softly.

Harry shrugged. He had an idea, though. Octavius' ability to see the shadows created by dark magic would be useful in the war against Voldemort. "What had Ginny rushing out of here?"

"The chit stole the letter Zenith sent to his grandfather over the Christmas holidays," said Tristan nonchalantly.

"You don't know that for sure," Ron protested feebly.

"It depends on when Zenith sent the letter," said Harry reasonably. "If you'll remember, Ginny was under the influence of dark magic until Tristan's Aunt Marissa healed her, so if Zenith sent the letter before she was healed, it's very possible that Ginny did intercept the letter."

Zenith groaned softly. "I sent the letter four days after we arrived."

Just then, Ginny came back into the room with a crinkled envelope in her hands. She held the letter out to Zenith with an apologetic smile. "I found this in my desk drawer when I was putting my school supplies away a few days ago. I'm sorry for taking it."

"It's alright, Ginny. You weren't exactly thinking clearly at the time," said Harry softly.

Draco snorted. "That's a constant state of being for her."

Ginny whipped around with a scowl, raising her wand to hex the irritating blond, but Harry quickly snatched the wand out of her hand. "Like being an annoying twit is a constant state of being for you. Do you just not think at all? Do you really think it's wise to start with the insults when you're surrounded by the enemy so to speak?"

"It's not like I had any choice in the matter," muttered Draco petulantly.

"So you would prefer to be dead?" asked Harry archly. "I knew you were a coward, but I never thought you were suicidal."

"I'm no coward," snarled Draco angrily.

"You brought Death Eaters into a school full of children," said Harry coldly. "If it hadn't been for the DA, who knows how many students would have died that night."

"I didn't have a choice," cried Draco. "The Dark Lord said he would kill my family if I didn't do it."

"Wait, Malfoy let the Death Eaters into the school?" asked Ron incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"If your family's lives were on the line, would you choose any differently?" asked Draco coldly.

Ron opened his mouth to answer only to stop when he really thought about. Could he really sacrifice his family for a bunch of people he barely knew? He wanted to say yes, but the thought of losing his family absolutely terrified him.

"Exactly," said Draco vindictively. "It's easy to say you would choose differently, but when you're actually faced with that situation, it's a whole different story."

"You're still a coward," muttered Ron derisively.

"If anyone's the coward here, it's Potter. He abandoned us all just to attend some school that caters to magical creatures," sneered Draco.

"Harry didn't abandon anyone," snapped Hermione. "Remus had to basically kidnap him after his uncle nearly be-"

"That's enough, Hermione," Harry interrupted quickly. "I don't really care what Malfoy thinks of me, so there's really no need to go into my reasons for being here."

"What's the deal with this Dark Lord you're talking about it?" asked Bianca curiously. "He's just a wizard, right?"

"If you can still call him that," said Harry snidely. "He's more snake than man these days."

Draco shuddered in horror, remembering the day the Dark Lord had branded him. It was absolutely terrifying.

"But he's still human," said Bianca insistently. "And humans, by their very physique, are relatively fragile. They can be hurt more easily than most creatures, and they don't live nearly as long."

"While that's true, Voldemort made sure he couldn't die that easily. In order to kill him, we'll have to find the objects he used to store a portion of his soul and destroy them first," said Harry wearily.

"Are you serious?" asked Bianca incredulously.

Harry simply nodded. "His name says it all. Voldemort, which in French means to flee from death, is terrified of dying. So he used any means necessary to ensure that wouldn't happen regardless of the consequences."

"The soul is the very essence of a person. Mutilating it like that only leads to insanity," said Bianca.

"You're telling me," muttered Harry. Tiring of the current subject, Harry said, "So tell me about this festival, Zenith. Is it anything like the festival we had at the school for Halloween?"

"Well, we do have a lot of different types of food and activities, but the highlight of the festival is the dragon races," said Zenith eagerly.

Charlie perked up at this. "Dragon races?"

"Yeah, a three-man team runs an obstacle course of sorts. There's a water course, a land course, and sky course. The first team to complete all three obstacle courses wins a prize," said Zenith cheerfully.

"That sounds fun," said Harry wistfully.

"It really is," said Zenith. "Would you like to go?"

Harry immediately turned wide green eyes in Remus' direction. "Can I?"

Remus groaned under his breath while Bill snickered softly beside him. He never could say no when Harry had that look on his face. He looked at Zenith and asked, "Are all four of you going, or do you plan to just take Harry?"

"Wherever Harry goes, I go," said Tristan bluntly, looking at Zenith as if daring him to argue.

Zenith just grinned. "Does that answer your question?"

"Since you are inviting someone to the festival, I would like to invite the blond one," said Bianca. She paused when she saw the disappointed look on the stocky redhead's face and said, "And that redhead," pointing to Charlie.

Charlie immediately beamed happily. "I would love to go."

"You're inviting me?" asked Draco suspiciously.

"Do you not wish to see a Dracken festival?" asked Bianca. Getting no answer, she shrugged. "Well, if you do not wish to come, I guess-"

"I do want to go," said Draco quickly. "Thank you for inviting me."

"We'll leave after breakfast then," said Zenith happily. He was looking forward to introducing Harry to his clan. He was sure his grandpa would adore his little mate.

XxX

"What did you need to talk about?" asked Octavius curiously.

"You can see the shadows dark magic leaves behind, right?" asked Severus bluntly.

"Yes, I can."

"Can you find these shadows from a distance?" asked Severus.

"I've never tried it. Maybe if I had a sample of the shadows you're trying to find, I could possibly track them down," said Octavius slowly.

"I'm trying to find the location of the Dark Lord's remaining horcruxes, but I don't even know where to start. Potter destroyed two on his own, and Dumbledore found and destroyed two others. There are three left, but Nagini must be destroyed last because she is constantly at the Dark Lord's side. The other two could be anywhere," said Severus honestly.

"Do you have anything with this Dark Lord's magic on it?" asked Octavius.

Severus pulled back his sleeve, exposing the Dark Mark on his left arm.

"Do you think these things will all be in Britain?" asked Octavius.

"I'm almost positive of that," said Severus.

"Then I think we need to get a little closer to the search area before we begin," said Octavius, grabbing Severus' arm and pulling him into the shadows. Several minutes later, the shadows stilled, and Octavius delicately pulled a shadow free from the other man's mark. He then ordered his shadows to search out and find all traces of this shadow. Ten minutes later, he blinked in shock at the number of shadows he'd found.

"This is going to be harder than I thought. There are over thirty different shadows that are identical to these," said Octavius irritably.

Severus sighed in frustration. Obviously, he hadn't thought this through completely. He'd failed to take into account the number of Death Eaters under the Dark Lord's command. "This is going to take forever."

"Not necessarily," said Octavius thoughtfully. He could use his shadows to spy on the areas around him, but he'd never used so many shadows at once to do so. He guessed now was the time to try. "Let me try something first." He pulled a cluster of shadows in front of him, and hazy picture began to form. Two men and one woman were in bed together, and they were definitely not sleeping.

Octavius immediately scattered the shadows and pulled another cluster to him. This time, there were nine masked figures kneeling in front of a snake-faced man. Octavius scattered those shadows and pulled some more to him. The image formed into a room filled with gold and other treasures. The shadow he was searching for, however, was connected an ornate golden goblet.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Severus looked at the image and gasped in surprise. "Yes, that's Hufflepuff's cup."

"Let's go then," said Octavius, shadowing them to the vault where the goblet was stored.

As they stepped into the vault, Severus raised an eyebrow at the Shadow demon. "How long do you think we'll have before the goblin's notice our presence here."

"They'll only know someone was here when the owner of this vault reports the goblet stolen," said Octavius with a sneer.

Severus quickly pulled a rucksack out of his pocket and lowered it over the cup. Once the cup was completely covered, he pulled the rucksack upright, making sure the cup stayed inside.

Octavius silently pulled Severus back into the shadows and began his search once more. Several disturbing images later- really, just how depraved were these people- Octavius saw an image of a toad-like woman, wearing a golden locket with a large S on the front. Seeing that the shadows were attached to the locket rather than the unfortunate looking woman, Octavius shadowed them to the room she was in.

Severus cursed softly and quickly stunned the woman when he saw exactly who had the locket. "How in Merlin's name did Umbridge get the locket?"

Octavius froze at the name. "Do you mean Delores Umbridge?"

"You've heard of her?" asked Severus curiously.

"Harry has a permanent scar on his right hand because of her. She made him write 'I will not tell lies,' with a Blood Quill until the words scarred his hand," said Octavius, staring at the woman with loathing.

Severus' jaw clenched in anger. Snatching the locket away from the woman's neck, he shoved it in the rucksack with the goblet. His fingers itched to curse the woman. He reluctantly walked back to Octavius' side, expecting the teen to take them back to Egypt. However, as the room began to fade from view, he saw dozens of shadows converge on the unconscious woman, dragging her into the shadows, as well.

"What are you doing?" Severus hissed angrily.

"That woman will never be able to hurt my mate again," said Octavius coldly.

Severus wasn't upset that the woman was dead. He was just upset about the ruckus that would ensue when someone found her body.

As if Octavius heard that last thought, he said, "Don't worry, Severus. After my shadows are done with her, there won't be anything left to find. Just don't tell Harry what I did. He's too soft-hearted for his own good."

Severus just shook his head. He was just thankful these kids were on Harry's side because they were more terrifying than the Dark Lord.

When they made it back to the cottage, they found Harry waiting for them. The brunet's ears perked up eagerly when he saw them. "Did you find them?"

"Find what, Potter?" asked Severus impatiently.

Harry gave him a 'don't be stupid,' look. "The horcruxes, of course. That is why you needed Octavius' help, right?"

Severus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, we found two of the horcruxes. Now I shall take my leave to destroy the damn things." With that said, he stalked out of the room and left the cottage with a nary a word to anyone else.

Once Severus was gone, Harry turned back to Octavius with an excited grin. "Guess what, Tavi?"

Octavius smiled fondly at the brunet. "What?"

"Zenith is taking us to his home for the summer festival. We'll get to see a dragon race, too," said Harry, almost bouncing on his toes from excitement. "Oh, and I brought you some breakfast since you were off with Severus. Here!" Harry pulled his black-eyed mate over to the nearest table, where a tray of food was sitting.

Octavius sat down on the bed and pulled Harry down onto his lap. "Share it with me. I'm pretty sure you were too excited to eat much earlier."

Harry blushed guiltily and snagged a piece of toast off the plate.

Once the food was all gone, Harry practically jumped to his feet. He was looking forward to visiting Zenith's home. He quickly dragged his black-eyed lover to their bedroom and pushed him toward his trunk. "Zenith said to pack enough to last a week," he said, grabbing his school bag out of his trunk. Stuffing several sets of clothing into the bag, he hurried to the bathroom to grab his toiletries only to find that Octavius had dumped all of his clothes out of his bag.

"Here's how to pack properly," drawled Octavius. Flicking his fingers, he sent several shadows to the pile of clothing and watched smugly as they neatly folded the clothing and placed them in the bag.

"Smug bastard," muttered Harry with a fond smile, dropping his toiletries into the bag.

Octavius just smirked at him and calmly packed his own bag. Once everything was packed, he picked up both bags and followed Harry out of the room. He almost laughed, though, when he saw Harry's tail practically wagging in his enthusiasm.

"All done," Harry announced as he walked back into the kitchen. "So when are we leaving?"

"Are you really that eager to get away from us, Harry?" asked Hermione with a snort of amusement.

Harry grinned unrepentantly at his friend. "Dragon races, Hermione. I'll miss you, though."

"Call us on the orb so we can see a little bit of it, too," Ron demanded eagerly.

"Now that, I can do," promised Harry.

Zenith finished the rune array on the kitchen wall and cut the palm of his hand. Pressing his bloody hand in the centre of the array, the wall faded out of sight, revealing endless ocean and a gorgeous sandy beach.

Bianca immediately stalked through the gate with Draco and Charlie following after. Tristan grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him through the gate followed by Octavius and finally Zenith. As the gate closed behind them, Harry looked at his surroundings in delight. This place was simply beautiful, lush and full of life.

"You two, follow me. You'll be staying at my place while you're here," Bianca said to Draco and Charlie.

"And you'll be staying with me, of course," Zenith told Harry, Octavius, and Tristan. "This way."

They walked along the beach until they reached a rocky cliff. Harry looked around curiously, trying to find a path to get to the top of the cliff, but there wasn't one. Before he could ask Zenith for answers, however, the Dracken stepped behind him and grabbed him by the waist, flying into the air with a strong flap of his wings. As they flew higher, Harry was amazed to see that several homes were built into the cliff itself.

Zenith flew almost to the top of the cliff before landing in one of the large, open doorways burrowed into the rocky cliff. The doorway opened up into a massive cavern, sectioned off into separate rooms. The stone architecture reminded him of that old cartoon he'd seen Dudley watch when they were younger- the Flintstones, he thought it was.

"This is amazing, Zenith," said Harry sincerely.

Before Zenith could answer, Octavius and Tristan stepped out of the shadows beside them. Octavius raised an eyebrow and said, "This is quaint."

Harry punched him in the arm. "Don't be rude, Tavi. It's wonderful."

"It's certainly interesting. It kind of reminds me of the Elvin homes I saw a few years ago. They tend to build their houses in the treetops," said Tristan thoughtfully.

"I see you finally decided to come back home, Zenith. And we have uninvited guests, as well."

Harry looked at the doorway and saw an older version of Zenith scowling at them. Zenith sighed loudly and frowned at the man. "They're not uninvited because I invited them here, grandpa. And of course I came home. What else was I supposed to do when you sent Bianca after me?"

Zenith's grandfather smiled widely. "Great! The mating will be held in three days then."

"Oh, hell no it won't!" snapped Harry before he could stop himself.

The older man turned toward Harry with a dark glare. "Excuse me?"

Harry straightened his shoulders and glared right back. "I said no it won't. Are you going deaf in your old age?"

Zenith snorted slightly as he tried desperately not to laugh. The look on his grandfather's face was comical. He clearly couldn't believe that this tiny fox-child was standing up to him like that.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I am Zenith's grandfather-" snarled the older man.

"And I am Zenith's mate, so back off," growled Harry coldly, the temperature in the room dropping several degrees.

The old man's jaw dropped in shock at the claim, and he turned to Zenith for confirmation. However, Zenith was too busy laughing to confirm anything. "Zenith Waverly, I want an explanation right now."

Zenith finally got his laughter under control and answered his grandfather. "Grandpa, I want you to meet my mate, Harry Potter. Harry, this is my grandfather, Skyler Waverly."

"I would say nice to meet you, but so far it hasn't been," said Harry bluntly, still scowling at the older man.

Octavius snorted in amusement at Harry's response while Tristan smirked.

"And just when did all this happen? And who are they?" asked Skyler, pointing toward Octavius and Tristan.

"I, along with Octavius and Tristan, entered into a formal courtship with Harry over the Christmas holidays. I sent a letter informing you of this, but unfortunately, the owl never made it here," said Zenith. "Well, to make a long story short, the mating was two weeks ago."

Skyler looked at the four of them for a long moment and sighed in resignation. "All three of you are the fox-child's mates, aren't you?"

Tristan quickly covered Harry's mouth with one hand to keep him from saying anything over the 'fox-child' comment and said, "Yes, we are." A moment later, he hissed in pain and quickly removed his now singed palm away from Harry's mouth. "You didn't have burn me, Harry."

Harry scowled up at the redhead. "I couldn't breathe."

"Sorry," said Tristan apologetically.

Harry nodded and took Tristan's hand, healing the slight burn. "Well, dragon-man, can we stay for the festival, or should we go back home?"

Octavius snickered. Harry was always such a riot when he was in a snit like this.

Skyler finally cracked a smile at the tiny brunet. "Welcome to the family, young Harry."

Zenith broke out in a wide smile and grabbed Harry around the waist, spinning him in the air several times. "Now that you're part of the family, it's time to show you the secrets of Nido di Drago Island."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The day of the dragon race, Harry woke up bright and early, so excited he could barely stay still. He couldn't wait until the race started. The obstacle courses had been placed late yesterday, and the race was set to begin just after lunch.

According to Zenith, the race started with the sky course. Not only were there obstacles set in the air, there would also be Drackens in dragon form at intervals along the course breathing streams of fire to hinder the way. The ground course had various tricks and traps to hinder the contestants. The water course looked the most interesting, though. Half of the course was underwater while the other half was above water. To pass the underwater course, the contestant would be given a riddle to solve and then find the item named on the card. The rest of the course was almost like a muggle water-skiing contest. One Dracken would fly through the air, pulling their partner across the water through the rest of the obstacle course.

"Eat, Harry," said Zenith, smiling fondly at his mate. "You don't want to miss the race because you faint from hunger, do you?"

"It's never happened before, so I don't see why it should happen now," said Harry absently, missing the look of fury that crossed Zenith's face at the reminder of his childhood starvation as he turned toward Tristan. "Which part of the race are you looking forward to watching, Tristan?"

"I can't wait to see Zenith get his arse fried in the air race," said Tristan teasingly.

"What about you, Octavius?" Harry asked his shadow demon mate.

Octavius smirked. "The ground race. I saw some of the traps and hexes they set up in the forest and on the beach. If any of them are activated, entertainment is a guarantee."

Harry laughed at that. "I'm looking forward to the water race. I plan to make Zenith wear a charmed mirror around his neck while he's underwater so I can see what's happening."

Zenith snorted softly and tugged gently on one of Harry's ears. "You do, do you? And how are you going to convince me to go along with that?"

"Just how much convincing do you need?" purred Harry, leaning close and running a finger teasingly down Zenith's chest.

Zenith groaned softly. "Okay, you've convinced me. I'll wear the enchanted mirror during the race, but I expect compensation once the race is over."

Harry smiled sweetly. "Zenith, my love, if you win, I'll give you whatever compensation you desire."

Zenith gulped loudly, eyes glazing with lust. There was no way he was losing the race now, and he knew just what he wanted as his prize.

"I am far too old for this," said Skyler, rolling his eyes at the display.

Harry blushed brightly at that. He hadn't even noticed the older man walking into the room. How embarrassing.

Zenith, on the other hand, just grinned. "You're never too old for that, Grandpa. The day that kind of encouragement fails is a sad day indeed."

"Shut it, boy. I don't need any of your cheek today," said Skyler.

"Let me guess, you're too old for that, as well," said Zenith cheekily.

"Leave me be, brat, and concentrate on the bloody race," said Skyler in exasperation.

"Trust me, Grandpa. I've got too much riding on this race to do anything else," said Zenith cheerfully.

Skyler rolled his eyes again and walked out of the room, muttering about, 'bloody teenagers and their bloody libidos.'

"Come on, Harry. I'll introduce you to my race partner once you're finished with your breakfast," said Zenith.

"Just one partner? I thought it was a three-man race," said Tristan.

Zenith scoffed at that. "Rhys and I don't need another partner. The rules state that each team has to have at least two participants. Besides, the third participant is generally considered a reserve member and only used when another teammate has been hurt."

"That confident in your abilities, are you?" Octavius asked teasingly.

"Of course," said Zenith.

Harry grabbed two apples off the table and stood. "I can't wait to meet him. I'll eat on the way."

XxX

"Why aren't you competing in the Dragon Race, Bianca?" asked Charlie curiously.

"The Dragon Race is for male Drackens. The females perform the Dance of Renewal the last night of the festival," Bianca explained.

"What is the Dance of Renewal?" asked Draco abruptly.

"It's the dance the unmated females perform every summer festival to ask the gods' blessings for the next year," said Bianca.

"Sounds interesting," said Draco unenthusiastically.

"It does, doesn't it," said Charlie in agreement. "I'm really looking forward to this afternoon."

"Well, the race starts an hour after lunch, and it usually lasts two to four hours. I think the quickest time for a Dragon Race was one hour fifty-six minutes," said Bianca.

"What was the longest time?" asked Charlie.

"Six hours and twenty-two minutes," said Bianca. "The three contestants ran into a group of barracuda. That alone wouldn't have been so bad, but four tiger sharks were hunting among the fish. Unfortunately, one of the contestants was injured, and the blood from the wound drove the sharks and barracuda into a feeding frenzy. The contestants were lucky to make it out alive."

"And I thought the Tri-Wizard Tournament was bad," said Draco.

"Oh, it was dangerous enough. That Beauxbatons girl was nearly drowned by grindylows. Harry was burned pretty badly by the dragon he had to face, and he was hurt by one of those creatures Hagrid bred," said Charlie.

Draco scoffed derisively. "Potter shouldn't have entered his name into the cup if he didn't want to compete."

"He didn't enter his name into the cup. A Death Eater polyjuiced as Mad-Eye Moody entered Harry's name into the cup," said Charlie pointedly.

"The race starts in an hour," said Bianca irritably, tired of listening to the two men bicker. "Let's just eat lunch and go."

"Great, I'm starving," said Charlie cheerfully, unfazed by Bianca's snappish attitude.

XxX

"This is so wicked," said Harry excitedly. He, Tristan, and Octavius were seated together on a flying carpet, waiting for the race to start. The carpet was spelled so that it would follow the contestants from the sky to the ground to the water. As promised, Zenith was wearing an enchanted mirror around his neck, and Harry held the corresponding mirror in his hands. "Look, there's Zenith and Rhys."

"Looks like Zenith is up first," said Tristan, watching Zenith head to the starting line while Rhys headed to the starting position for the land race.

Harry jumped in surprise when a loud bang sounded the start of the race. He started cheering, though, when Zenith took flight. Harry could barely keep up with his Dracken mate as he flew through the air obstacle course. Within minutes, Zenith was in second place and gaining quickly on the first place Dracken. Unfortunately, the Dracken behind him reached out and grabbed his tail, knocking him off course and nearly into an oncoming stream of fire. Zenith managed to duck underneath the fire and flew after him, easily catching up and passing the other Dracken.

Eyes darting back and forth between the mirror and the race, Harry almost jumped out of his seat with a growl of fury when he saw the Dracken in the lead flip in the air and tackle Zenith in from behind when Zenith caught up to him, almost knocking him out of the air completely. Zenith plummeted several metres before he managed to get his bearings back, but now he was in sixth place.

"Looks like Zenith is getting his arse kicked," said Octavius, grinning when he saw a Dracken get hit by a sudden burst of fire.

However, Zenith managed to speed past three of his opponents, putting him in third place a few metres before the transition line from air to land. Zenith landed beside Rhys, signalling for him to begin his portion of the race. Rhys darted into the forest, and Harry yelped slightly as the flying carpet dropped abruptly to follow the contestants through the forest.

The land was only a half kilometre long, but it was riddled with traps and obstacles. In addition to that, the contestants were forbidden to fly during the land race. As he ran through the forest, Rhys gained second place when the Dracken ahead of him triggered a trap that tied him tightly to a nearby tree. Running further down the path, he accidentally triggered a net trap and just barely managed to roll out of the way to avoid it. He almost fell into a pitfall when he leapt over a fallen branch, but Rhys used his wings to balance himself when he landed right on the edge of the pit.

Harry was practically clinging to the edge of the carpet in suspense when he saw Rhys trip over a wire stretched across the path and almost fall into a pit with wooden spears aimed upward at the bottom. Fortunately, Rhys was able to catch his balance enough to jump over the pit before stumbling to his knees. The Dracken behind him was not so lucky. That Dracken ended up with a spear in his leg when he fell.

Unfortunately, Rhys' luck didn't hold out for much longer. As he leapt over a fallen tree, he triggered a trap that poured honey all over him. This, of course, caused every twig and leaf he touched stick to him like glue. By the time he reached the edge of the forest, poor Rhys more resembled a walking tree than a Dracken.

Clear of the forest, Rhys hurried to the beach where Zenith was waiting to start the water race. Hopefully, he could wash off this blasted honey before flying out to the rendezvous point to begin the second half of the water race. He manfully ignored the snickers aimed at his appearance and slapped Zenith on the shoulder, watching his partner dive into the water. However, as he started to head toward the water to rinse off, one of the judges told him he and Zenith would be disqualified if he touched the water. With a pitiful sigh, Rhys grabbed a harness and slipped it over his neck before transforming into his dragon form and flying to the rendezvous point to wait.

"Poor Rhys. They could have let him rinse off that honey," said Harry sympathetically.

"I think it's hilarious," said Octavius cheerfully.

"You would. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get honey out of hair?" asked Tristan curtly.

"Have experience with that, do you?" asked Octavius teasingly.

Harry ignored his bickering mates and looked at his enchanted mirror. The underwater scenery was simply breathtaking with the bright coral reefs and the numerous sea creatures swimming in the clear blue depths. Harry saw a dolphin swim by and smiled in delight.

"I wonder what he has to find," mused Harry.

"Well, he better find whatever it is soon because I think that guy's already found the item he's seeking," said Tristan

Harry's eyes widened when he saw the Dracken a short distance away from Zenith grab something from the remains of a small sunken boat and swim off. Fortunately, it only took a few short minutes for Zenith to find what he was looking for in a small cluster of coral. Once he had the item in hand, he swam toward the rendezvous point. As soon as his head broke the surface of the water, Zenith grabbed the trailing harness and strapped it around his chest.

With the harness secure, Zenith flared his wings, signalling to Rhys that he was ready to start. Rhys immediately began to fly back toward the beach, pulling Zenith across the water with his feet skimming across the surface. Harry watched with bated breath as the pair sped through the obstacle course, swerving around buoys and leaping off ramps with graceful beauty.

Harry almost screamed, though, when a shark lunged out of the water with a large barracuda in its mouth just a few metres from where Zenith had just landed back on the water. Zenith, however, didn't even flinch at the shark's presence. He resolutely kept his focus on clearing the obstacle course, gaining steadily on the first place Dracken.

Zenith finally got lucky when the Dracken ahead of him clipped the buoy he was skidding around, causing him to lose his balance and sink into the water. Zenith deftly skirted around the other Dracken and readied himself for the oncoming ramp. It was the last obstacle to clear before the end of the race.

Zenith easily cleared the ramp and reached the finish line first, grinning triumphantly when he heard Harry cheering loudly at his win. After accepting his prize for winning, Zenith flew to Harry's side.

"What did you win, Zenith?" asked Harry curiously. He hadn't been able to see what it was from this distance, and the mirror had somehow gotten turned around, preventing him from seeing that way, as well.

Zenith just shook his head and shoved the prize in Tristan's arms. He then wrapped his arms around Harry and spread his wings to take flight. "My prize is right here, and I plan to make good use of it. You did promise me compensation if I won, after all."

Harry blushed brightly at the reminder, burying his face in Zenith's chest as his Dracken mate took to the air. He couldn't deny that he was looking forward to anything Zenith had planned for him. Even the thought of what was to come had his breath catching in his throat and his heart pounding in anticipation.

Zenith finally landed by the waterfall and jumped into the water with Harry still in his arms. Harry yelped in surprise as the cool water washed over his heated skin and scowled at the Dracken when he grinned unapologetically at him. Zenith's grin widened when he saw Harry's ears twitch sharply, trying to shake the excess water from them.

"Take a deep breath, Harry, and hold on tight. I have something to show you, but we'll have to swim a bit to get there," said Zenith.

Harry quickly sucked in a deep breath, wrapping his arms and legs around Zenith. Zenith immediately dived into the water, swimming through a short underwater tunnel and into a large cavern. He swiftly swam to the surface and climbed out of the water. As soon as Harry was back on his feet, Zenith cast a quick drying charm on them both, snickering softly when the fur on Harry's ears and tail puffed out wildly.

"What is this place?" asked Harry, manfully ignoring the laughter as he vainly tried to smooth out his fur. The cavern should have been dark, but it was lit up with a kaleidoscope of colours from a small sliver of sunlight glinting off the numerous gems embedded into the cavern walls.

"This is my sanctuary," said Zenith softly. "You're the first person I've ever brought here. You're the only one I've ever wanted to bring here."

"It's beautiful here. Thank you for sharing it with me," said Harry sincerely. He smiled sweetly at his Dracken mate and sat down on the bed Zenith had transfigured while he was busy staring in wonder at the gem embedded cavern walls. "I just wish I had something this beautiful to show share with you, as well."

Zenith smirked at that, leering playfully at the brunet. "You already have, Harry." He prowled toward Harry like a predator stalking its prey, pushing the brunet back so that he was lying down on the bed. "And believe me. I plan to indulge in a great deal of more sharing before the day is done."

"Is that so?" asked Harry dryly. He then jumped and moaned softly as Zenith cupped his hardening shaft with one hand while the other slid up underneath his shirt to tug teasingly at his nipple. "Oh, I like this kind of sharing."

"Then you're going to love what's coming next," growled Zenith, pulling Harry into a deep, needy kiss.

XxX

Charlie smirked when he saw Zenith spirit Harry away as soon as he'd won the race. Harry had obviously found the perfect thing to keep his Dracken mate motivated to win. Charlie was just glad to see Harry truly happy for once.

"Excuse me. You are here with Bianca, yes?"

Charlie looked up and saw the Dracken that had partnered with Zenith for the race. "Yes, Bianca invited Draco and me to the festival. I'm Charlie Weasley."

"Rhys Caldwell," said Rhys. "So Charlie, did you enjoy the race?"

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, very much so. Congratulations on your and Zenith's win, by the way."

"Thanks. Zenith definitely got the better prize, though," said Rhys with a rueful smile.

"I know. Harry's always been an adorable kid, but when he came into his Kitiara inheritance, he took it to all new levels," said Charlie fondly. "I'm glad he's got Zenith, Octavius, and Tristan to look after him now. He deserves to finally be happy, considering all that he's had to deal with in his life."

"You see him as a little brother, don't you?" asked Rhys curiously, hoping he was right in his assessment.

Charlie nodded. "My mum practically adopted him when he was eleven, and he's been family ever since."

"I would like to court you," said Rhys abruptly. "Will you consider allowing me to be your suitor?"

Charlie blinked in surprise at the sudden change in topic. Then his eyes widened in shock when he realised exactly what Rhys had just asked him. "You want to court me? Why? We just met!"

Rhys looked at Charlie in bemusement. "I thought you were aware of what a courtship entails. Harry was courted by his three mates, after all."

Charlie smiled sheepishly. "I know. I was just surprised by it all."

"Will you consider it then?" asked Rhys.

"Yes, I will consider it," said Charlie sincerely. "We'll be here a few more days, so I will give you my answer before we leave."

Rhys smiled brightly. "Thank you, Charlie."

Charlie blushed slightly and nodded, turning his attention to the group of female Drackens preparing to dance. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. He couldn't help but be a bit flattered, though. Rhys was definitely attractive with his honey-brown hair, teal coloured eyes and long, lean body.

As the dance started, Charlie found his gaze constantly trailing in Rhys' direction. It seemed his decision may have already been made for him. Besides, wasn't the whole purpose of a courtship to allow the people in question time to get to know each other properly? Yep, it looked like Harry wasn't going to be the only one in the family to enter into a formal courtship.

XxX

"This is boring," said Octavius with a scowl, watching the Dracken females dance. He could feel the magic building in the air, and it made him antsy to find his little mate. "We should go find Harry and Zenith."

Tristan sighed irritably. Octavius had done nothing but complain from the moment Zenith took Harry away. "They've only been gone two hours, Octavius." To be perfectly honest, though, he had the mounting urge to find and claim Harry.

"That's two hours too long," said Octavius promptly.

Tristan rubbed his forehead and tried a different tactic. "We have no idea where they are, Octavius. Besides, it won't kill you to allow Zenith and Harry a little alone time."

"It will, though," whinged Octavius pitifully. "I haven't had any Harry love since we bonded."

"Well, neither have I, but you don't see me pouting like a two-year old," snapped Tristan in exasperation.

Octavius glared at the redhead. "Stay here if you want. I'm going to find them."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" asked Tristan. "You don't exactly know the terrain all that well."

Octavius smirked smugly. "Oh, but you forget, Tristan. Harry is wearing the necklace I gave him for Christmas. That shadow will lead us right to him."

Tristan sighed in resignation. There was obviously no talking the impatient demon out of this, so he may as well go along for the ride to try to minimize the damage. "Fine, Octavius. Don't blame me when Zenith tries to eat you, though."

Octavius grinned and grabbed Tristan's arm, pulling the shadows around them. He quickly found the shadow in Harry's possession and followed it. Unfortunately, he failed to realise that he directly above water until it was too late. He and Tristan fell into the water with a startled yelp. They immediately swam toward the surface and pulled themselves out of the water only to freeze in dazed lust when they saw Zenith and Harry.

Harry was spread out on the bed with his legs wrapped firmly around Zenith's hips, gasping and moaning every time the Dracken thrust into him. He vainly tugged on his wrists, trying to touch either Zenith or himself, but Zenith kept them pressed firmly to the mattress, determined to bring Harry to release from his cock alone. The magic in the air suddenly swelled drastically, and Harry arched sharply with a muffled scream, coming in long spurts.

Zenith grunted as Harry's arse clenched around him, thrusting several more times before spilling his seed within his mate's tight depths with a low growl. He slowly pulled out of the brunet, sending a disgruntled scowl over his shoulder at Tristan and Octavius, and settled on the bed beside Harry. He saw Octavius disappear into the shadows and sighed in resignation. He should have known that shadowy bastard would hunt them down.

And sure enough, a moment later, Octavius stepped out of the shadows directly beside the bed minus his sodden clothing. He reached out and grabbed Harry's ankles, pulling him around so that his arse was at the edge of the mattress. Harry yelped in surprise at the sudden movement, startled out of his sex-induced doze, and blinked in confusion when he saw Octavius above him instead of Zenith.

"When did you get here, Tavi?"

Octavius just smirked at him. "You didn't really expect me to wait idly by while you and Zenith had all the fun did you?" He pushed Harry's legs toward his chest with one hand and teasingly traced the brunet's slick entrance with the other. He pushed two fingers inside the loosened passage, wringing a strangled moan from Harry at the abrupt penetration.

"W-Where's Tristan?" asked Harry breathlessly. "You d-didn't leave him b-behind, di-" Octavius' fingers rubbing firmly against his prostate made him lose all train of thought.

"Tristan's around here somewhere," murmured Octavius, eyes dilating in lust as he watched Harry writhe underneath him. He quickly pulled his fingers free of Harry's clinging depths and replaced them with his cock.

"Octavius, you bastard," growled Tristan, dripping water everywhere as he stomped toward the bed. "You did that on purpose just so you could get to Harry first."

"Oh, quit your yapping," said Octavius absently. "You'll get your turn soon enough." He gave the redhead a sly look and nodded his head toward Zenith. "Of course, if you're that impatient, you could always occupy yourself with Zenith."

"I have a better suggestion. How about you occupy yourself with Zenith, and I'll take care of Harry," said Tristan bluntly.

"And don't I feel loved," said Zenith wryly. "In case you've both forgotten, this was supposed to be my time with Harry, so why don't you two bugger off."

Octavius suddenly grunted as Harry pushed him away with a scowl. "If all you're going to do is argue, then do it without me. I'm leaving." He didn't even make it off the bed before he was grabbed by three pairs of hands.

"You're not going anywhere," said Tristan firmly. "We finally have complete privacy, and we are going to take advantage of it."

"Not if-"

"We are in complete agreement of this plan," Octavius quickly interrupted.

"But still-"

"Harry, just shut up and enjoy the attention," said Zenith patiently. "There will be no more arguments from us today."

Harry did exactly that. And, enjoyment was far too mild a word for what happened after that.


End file.
